Israel prepares to send medical gear to Sweida as clashes persist despite ceasefire

The Health Ministry says it is preparing to send medical equipment and medicine to a hospital in Sweida, southern Syria, after reports the facility was severely damaged in recent sectarian fighting.

The supplies will be transferred by Israel’s security forces once full authorization is obtained from all relevant authorities, a statement from the ministry says.

“Our brotherhood with the Druze community is well known, but beyond that, we are committed to a ‘covenant of life.’ We cannot stand idly by when members of the community—inside or outside Israel—are in danger,” Health Minister Uriel Buso says.

Ministry Director-General Moshe Bar Siman Tov adds: “This initiative reflects the values that guide Israel’s healthcare system and our longstanding alliance with the Druze community. Providing medical assistance to the injured is a moral obligation.”

Syrian Bedouin and their allies battled Druze fighters in the community’s Sweida heartland for a seventh day today despite a ceasefire ordered by the government following a US-brokered deal to avert further Israeli military intervention.

AFP correspondents reported clashes in the west of the provincial capital as Druze fighters clashed with Bedouin supported by tribal gunmen from other parts of Syria.

The Syrian interior ministry announced that internal security forces had begun deploying in Sweida province and AFP correspondents saw them manning checkpoints trying to prevent more people from joining the fighting.