Reuters: Damascus misread US and Israeli signals before Suwayda offensive

The Syrian government mistakenly believed it had received a “green light” from Israel and the United States to deploy its forces to Suwayda province earlier this week, Reuters reports, citing eight sources familiar with the situation. These include Syrian political and military figures, two diplomats, and regional security officials.

According to the sources, Damascus was caught off guard by Israeli airstrikes targeting Syrian troops and the capital itself on July 16. The attacks came after government forces were accused of killing dozens of Druze civilians in Suwayda.

A Syrian military official told Reuters that US officials did not respond to Damascus’s prior communication regarding troop deployment plans in Suwayda. This silence, the official said, led the Syrian leadership to believe it had tacit approval and that “Israel would not intervene.”

The sources further noted that the Syrian government’s decision was influenced by both public and private remarks made by US Special Envoy for Syria Thom Barrack, as well as emerging security talks with Israel. Barak had called for centralised governance in Syria as “a single state” with no autonomous regions.

A diplomat based in Damascus said the Syrian authorities had shown “excessive overconfidence” during the Suwayda operation, “basing their actions on US statements that ultimately did not reflect reality.”

However, a senior official from Syria’s Foreign Ministry denied that Barrack’s comments played a role in the troop deployment decision. He asserted that the move was driven “purely by national interests,” aimed at “stopping bloodshed, protecting civilians, and preventing the escalation of civil conflict.”

On July 14, Damascus deployed troops and tanks to Suwayda province in an attempt to suppress ongoing clashes between Bedouin tribes and armed groups within the Druze community.

According to Syrian sources, government troops entering the city came under fire from Druze militias.

The unfolding events triggered Israeli airstrikes on Syrian security forces, the Ministry of Defence in Damascus, and areas near the presidential palace.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel intervened to prevent Syrian forces from entering southern Syria, which he described as a demilitarised zone, and to fulfil a commitment to protect the Druze population.

Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed to hold those responsible for the violence against the Druze accountable. He blamed “criminal groups” seeking to ignite tensions for the attacks on civilians but did not clarify whether government forces were involved.

The United States and several other countries intervened swiftly and brokered a ceasefire by the evening of July 16. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the escalation as “a misunderstanding” between Israel and Syria.

By Tamilla Hasanova