![Syrians protest Israeli interference in Syria at a demonstration in Druze-majority Suwayda city. One demonstrator holds a sign reading “Netanyahu, you supporter of the [Assad] barrel bomb regime, leave the minorities alone,” 25/2/2025 (Suwayda 24)](https://syriadirect.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/481074920_1063617625808047_4429235549923929777_n.jpg)
As Israel instrumentalizes Syria’s Druze, some fear ‘increased sectarianism’
As Tel Aviv projects itself as the protector of Syria’s Druze, hate speech against the community has propagated, despite the stance of many Druze activists against Israel.
Israeli strikes turn Daraa revolution celebration into a funeral
Celebrations planned to mark the 14th anniversary of the Syrian revolution in Daraa province turned to mourning in the wake of the most violent Israeli strikes on the province since the fall of the regime.
Flowers and new faces: Damascus marks revolution anniversary for the first time
New faces and new stories filled Umayyad Square in Damascus on Saturday as the Syrian capital publicly marked the anniversary of the revolution for the first time in 14 years.
Is Suwayda heading for a showdown with Damascus?
Factions in Syria’s southern Suwayda province are split on whether to merge with Damascus. One side—aligned with Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri—is opposed, while the other—including the powerful Men of Dignity—calls for opening to Damascus and joining its institutions.
Thousands of Alawites seek refuge in Lebanon, where locals lead the response
Thousands of Alawites have fled to Lebanon following sectarian killings on the Syrian coast. Local residents are springing into action, while some fear a spillover of violence.
As Jableh picks up the pieces, can residents overcome ‘sectarian tensions’?
A tense calm hangs over Jableh, while sectarian tensions remain following extrajudicial killings and property destruction during confrontations between pro-Assad fighters and government forces in the diverse coastal city.
Suwayda celebrates Damascus’s agreement with the SDF (Photo)
Dozens of residents demonstrated in Syria’s southern Suwayda city on [...]
‘Day of unity’ and the ‘devil in the details’: Syrians welcome landmark SDF deal
Syrians welcomed news of a landmark agreement to integrate Kurdish-led forces into state institutions on Monday, hoping it would prevent bloodshed and prevent any partition of the country, while “the devil is in the details” of its implementation.
Blood on the coast: Can Damascus pull back from the brink?
After two days of bloodshed that killed hundreds, Syria’s Ministry of Defense halted military operations on the coast against forces loyal to the deposed Assad regime on Saturday pending the removal of “unaffiliated forces” from the area.
Syrian artists fight for a ‘free space of creation’ post-Assad
In post-Assad Syria, many artists are experiencing a freedom of expression they have never known, one they are determined to hold on to.
