Clashes in Sweida: Why are Druze, Bedouin, Israeli forces fighting in this Syrian city?

Here is everything you need to know about Sweida in Syria, who is fighting, and why Israel is now involved.

The city of Sweida in southern Syria has been featured in headlines worldwide as clashes have erupted between Druze and Bedouin forces in the area.

Syrian forces have also advanced on the city, and the IDF has launched airstrikes on nearby military targets.

These clashes come in the aftermath of Hay'at Tahrir al-Shams's successful ousting of the Assad regime and forming the new dominant political order in the war-torn country. But why has violence continued to break out in this city?

Here is everything you need to know about Sweida, who is fighting, and why Israel is now involved.

What is Sweida?

Sweida is a southern city and capital of the Sweida Governorate, and sits close to the Jordanian and Israeli borders.

The city boasts a population of tens of thousands of people, the majority of them being Druze, with smaller but still significant Christian and Muslim minorities.

Much of the city is under the control of Druze forces, though the city itself is part of the new Syrian government headed by Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Who is fighting in Sweida?

Clashes broke out Sunday between Druze forces and local Bedouin tribes, who are Sunni Muslims and make up a small minority in the city.

Figures regarding casualties are difficult to verify, with numerous reports placing the number of deaths anywhere from 30 to nearly 100, with at least 100 others wounded in the fighting.

The fighting has gotten severe enough that Syrian government forces had to be deployed to the area and clashed with the local armed groups, though some reports indicated that they did so supporting Bedouin fighters.

By Monday, the Syrian government forces took control of at least one Druze village in the area.

Also Monday, Israel got involved in the conflict, with the IDF striking several tanks that were advancing towards Sweida.

A military source told Walla that the purpose of the Israeli strike was to prevent the movement of tanks into an area that the IDF does not allow Syrian military forces to enter.

It also comes following Israel's repeated statements that the Jewish state will act to defend the Druze minority in Syria.

What are the causes of the fighting?

According to AFP, the fighting began after armed Bedouin tribesmen kidnapped a Druze vegetable merchant, which subsequently sparked retaliations and escalations.

However, the violence is not unprecedented, with Bedouin and Druze forces in Sweida having longstanding tensions that have resulted in clashes in the past, AFP reported.

The Syrian government maintains that the conflict is not sectarian in nature.

"The real conflict is between the state and bandits and criminals, not between the state and any Syrian community," Syrian Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddine al-Baba told the Associated Press. "On the contrary, the state views the Druze community in Sweida as a partner in advancing the national unity project."

Druze spiritual leaders in Sweida called on armed Druze factions to cooperate with government forces and surrender their weapons to the Syrian government.

However, there have been longstanding concerns about the safety of Syria's Druze community under the new government.

Why is Israel involved in the fighting in Syria?

Since the fall of the Assad regime, Israel has been vocal about defending the Druze community in Syria, making statements regarding the protection of the Druze of Sweida and Jaramana, among other places.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that the IDF struck targets in Syria near Sweida in a new message to the new Islamist-led Syrian government, stating, "We will not allow harm to the Druze in Syria. Israel will not stand by it."

However, reports have also indicated a broader security concern by the IDF, with a military source telling Walla that the IDF strikes on Syrian tanks were part of the effort to establish priorities on the ground regarding what Israel will and will not allow to happen in the region.

This also comes amid renewed dialogue between Syria and Israel, with some analysts and politicians expressing hope that ties could be normalized between Jerusalem and Damascus. At the time of writing, it is unclear how the fighting in Sweida may impact these talks.

Reuters and Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.