Damascus: Syrian and Israeli leaders have reached a ceasefire agreement under the auspices of the United States after sectarian clashes in southern Syria prompted Israeli intervention with strikes recently.

According to Namibia Press Agency, U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack announced the truce, stating that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syrian interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, under the sponsorship of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, agreed to a cessation of hostilities. The agreement is supported by regional players, including Turkey, Jordan, and Syria's other neighbors.

The ceasefire deal comes after six days of clashes in the southern province of Sweida, which resulted in hundreds of deaths and raised fears of a broader regional escalation. "We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and, together with other minorities, build a new and united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity with its neighbors," Barrack stated on social media.

Under the terms of the truce, Syrian government security and military institutions will be allowed to re-enter all parts of Sweida. The deal also requires the dissolution of local factions, the handover of heavy weapons, and the integration of former fighters into state security structures. The Druze community's spiritual leadership welcomed the ceasefire, expressing readiness to end hostilities and calling for a return to "wisdom and reason."

The agreement was reached amid humanitarian concerns in Sweida, where United Nations convoys were recently blocked from entering conflict zones. Syrian authorities have yet to comment on the ceasefire deal.