Israel will “allow” limited access by Syrian forces into the Sweida area of southern Syria for the next two days because of instability in the area, an Israeli official said on Friday.
"In light of the ongoing instability in south west Syria, Israel has agreed to allow limited entry of the (Syrian) internal security forces into Sweida district for the next 48 hours," the official, who declined to be named, told reporters.
Syrian security forces are preparing to re-enter the Druze-majority city to quell renewed fighting with Bedouin tribes, a Syrian interior ministry spokesperson said on Friday.
However, just hours later, another interior ministry spokesperson, Noureddin al-Baba, denied that government forces were being deployed.
The move, if confirmed, will strain a fragile truce in the country's south.
The ceasefire, announced on Wednesday, briefly ended days of bloody clashes between Bedouin and Druze fighters in Sweida province, which had intensified after the Syrian government initially sent in troops.
Under that agreement, Druze factions and clerics would be left to maintain internal security in Sweida, Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa said on Thursday.
Israel, which earlier warned against Syrian government troop deployment to the south, struck Syrian troops in Sweida, the defence ministry, and near to the presidential palace in Damascus.
Though Syrian troops withdrew from Sweida after the truce, fighting reignited late Thursday between the tribal Bedouin fighters and the Druze, a religious minority with followers in Lebanon and Israel.
Israel's military carried out fresh strikes in Sweida province overnight.
Describing Syria's new rulers as barely disguised jihadists, Israel earlier vowed to shield the area's Druze community from attack, encouraged by calls from Israel's own Druze minority.
Its deep distrust of Syria's new Islamist-led leadership appears to be at odds with the United States, which said it did not support recent Israeli strikes on Syria.
The US intervened to help secure the earlier truce between government forces and Druze fighters, and the White House said on Thursday that it appeared to be holding.
Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has worked to establish warmer ties with the US, accused Israel of trying to fracture Syria and promised to protect its Druze minority.
The clashes initially began between Druze militias and local Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes on Sunday before government forces intervened and took the Bedouins’ side against the Druze.
The fighting killed hundreds of people over four days, with allegations that government-affiliated fighters executed Druze civilians and looted and burned homes.
