Syria’s president declared a ceasefire after nearly a week of sectarian bloodshed in the south, but civilians said there was no let-up in the violence.

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Syria's Sweida province has been engulfed by nearly a week of violence triggered by clashes between Bedouin fighters and Druze factions. Earlier on Friday, an Israeli official said Israel agreed to allow Syrian forces limited access to the Sweida area of southern Syria for the next two days.

Barrack suggested that Israel would prefer to see Syria fragmented and divided rather than a strong central state in control of the country.

The Syrian government has moved some Bedouin families out of the southern province after clashes with Druze fighters intensified over the weekend.

Syria and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire, US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said on Friday. The deal was “embraced” by Turkey, Jordan and other neighboring countries, the ambassador, who also serves as the US special envoy to Syria, said in a post on X.

In their article for The Media Line, Brittle Ceasefire: ‘This Isn’t Peace,’ As-Suwayda Teacher Says Ahmed Qweidar and Jacob Wirtschafter offer a powerful and nuanced portrait of Syria’s ongoing conflict. Their reporting presents a wide range of voices, challenging the simplistic narratives often found in international coverage.

Early Saturday, US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack announced a ceasefire between Syria and Israel, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Damascus to prevent “violent jihadists” from “carrying out massacres” in the country’s south.