(18 Jul 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Beirut, Lebanon – 18 July 2025
1. Arrival of leader of the Druze community, Lebanese Sheikh Sami Abi al-Muna, and Lebanese Druze leader Walid Joumblatt
2. Various of Druze Sheikhs in meeting
3. Wide of news conference
4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sheikh Sami Abi al-Muna, Leader of the Druze community:
"We stand with our people in Sweida our brotherly and humanitarian solidarity with our people in Sweida and with all innocent people injured by the fire of clashes. If the words of condemnation are not sufficient to express our anger and pain at the scenes of violations and mutual criminal acts that have tarnished the image of the mountain and the image of the state."
5. Mid of flags
6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sheikh Sami Abi al-Muna, Leader of the Druze community:
“We also condemn the loud calls for public alienation, especially the tribal calls from different parts of Syria to attack Sweida and possibly others, which foreshadow a sectarian war and entry into the unknown, as has happened since yesterday night, giving an excuse for Israeli intervention and blowing up the situation in the region. We do not accept the request for Israeli protection, which we believe affects our history and identity."
7. Mid of photographer
8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sheikh Sami Abi al-Muna, Leader of the Druze community:
"As we regret the escalation that has occurred in Suwayda towards combat and confrontation, we call for the preservation of the agreement reached the day before yesterday, which was recently signed, to ceasefire and manage the situation in the governorate under Arab sponsorship and through a national dialogue table."
9. Wide of Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt at the podium
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Walid Jumblatt, Lebanese Druze leader:
"Condemning the Israeli attacks. We condemn the Israeli attacks on Sham (Damascus) against Syria at this historic moment in our history and the history of Syria and condemning the daily Israeli attacks on Lebanon. We demand the formation of an investigative committee in order to reveal the crimes committed against our people in Sweida and at the same time, against the Bedouins."
11. Jumblatt leaving news conference
STORYLINE:
The spiritual leader of the Druze community, Sheikh Sami Abi al-Muna, condemned the ongoing clashes in southern Syria and Israeli intervention.
“We stand with our people in Sweida and with all innocent people injured by the fire of clashes,” he said in Beirut on Friday.
Al-Muna called for all parties to adhere to the ceasefire agreement reached on Wednesday and for a national dialogue to address the issues between different communities in Syria.
Lebanese Druze leader Walid Joumblatt, at the same gathering, called for the formation of a committee to investigate violations against both Druze and Bedouins in Syria.
He also condemned the Israeli strikes on Syria and Lebanon and called for unity among the different communities.
Israel intervened on behalf of the Druze, launching dozens of airstrikes on convoys of government fighters and striking the Syrian Defense Ministry headquarters in central Damascus in a major escalation of its involvement.
The Druze are a significant population in Israel and seen as a loyal minority there.
It bombarded the Syrian Defense Ministry headquarters in central Damascus and struck near the presidential palace.
Damascus and some Druze factions reached a ceasefire under which the government pulled its forces out of Sweida, although clashes between Druze and Bedouin groups have since flared up again.
AP video by Fadi Tawil
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