On the 17th, 11 Middle Eastern countries, including Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, issued a joint statement expressing support for Syria's security, unity, stability, and sovereignty, and opposing foreign interference in Syrian affairs.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that over the past two days, the foreign ministers of the UAE, Bahrain, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Egypt had intensive consultations on the situation in Syria and reached a unified position.
The foreign ministers unanimously stressed their support for Syria's security, unity, stability, and sovereignty, and their opposition to any foreign interference in Syrian affairs; welcomed the agreement reached to end the crisis in Syria’s Sweida province, and emphasized the need to implement the agreement to safeguard Syria’s unity and the safety of its citizens; expressed support for efforts to establish security, national sovereignty, and the rule of law in Sweida province and across Syria, and opposed violence, sectarianism, incitement of discord, and incitement of hatred.
The foreign ministers condemned Israeli attacks on Syria, deeming them open violations of international law and blatant infringements of Syrian sovereignty, undermining Syria’s security, stability, territorial integrity, and the safety of its citizens. They called on the international community to support Syria’s reconstruction process and urged the UN Security Council to assume its responsibility to ensure Israel's complete withdrawal from Syria, to halt all Israeli hostile actions and interference against Syria, and to implement Security Council Resolution 2766 and the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Syria and Israel, which established a buffer zone in the Golan Heights.
On the 13th of this month, fierce clashes broke out between Druze armed factions and Bedouin tribes in Syria’s Sweida province, after which forces loyal to the Syrian government intervened and exchanged fire with some Druze factions. On the 16th, the Syrian authorities announced a new ceasefire agreement in Sweida province.
After the dramatic change in the Syrian political situation in December last year, Israel, citing "self-defense," took the opportunity to deploy troops to occupy the buffer zone and adjacent areas in the Golan Heights, and sought cooperation with the Druze, who make up the majority population in Sweida province, aiming to establish a so-called "defense zone" in southern Syria. Israel openly demanded the "complete demilitarization" of Sweida and two other southern provinces, refusing to allow Syrian government forces or any other armed groups to enter or establish a foothold in southern Syria. Since the outbreak of conflict in Sweida, Israel has continued to launch airstrikes against Syrian government targets.