Syrian President Ahmed Al-Shara stated this evening that Israel is interfering directly in As-Suwayda province, implementing policies to weaken the Syrian state and intervening in southern Syria. Al-Shara made these remarks during a meeting with Idlib personalities, accusing external actors of orchestrating events in Ba-Sweda to cause harm. He also acknowledged that some government forces acted against citizens in As-Suwayda and pledged to prosecute them. Al-Shara affirmed the state's insistence on maintaining a monopoly on weapons and rejected any notion of state division. Al-Shara further addressed the issue of Kurdish forces, indicating an agreement is in place and discussions are ongoing regarding its field implementation in the coming months. However, he noted that the actions of Kurdish forces sometimes contradict their stated positions during discussions. He also projected a transition period in Syria lasting four to five years, emphasizing that such changes cannot occur rapidly. Separately, armed groups affiliated with the "Hijri rule" reportedly stormed shrines in Ain al-Zaman and Al-Tiles in As-Suwayda. These groups allegedly assaulted Sheikh of the Mind Yusuf al-Jarbou and Sheikh of the Mind Hammoud al-Hinnawi, and displayed images of the "Hijri" and the Israeli flag over a shrine, according to a report from Syria Now. President Al-Shara also stated that the regime was "dropped in the battle to liberate Syria," and that the next battle is to unify Syria, which he believes should be achieved through understanding rather than bloodshed or military force. He asserted that factors promoting division in Syria are unavailable to anyone and are nearly impossible to implement.
