Nationwide Protests Erupt in Syria Against Alawite Massacres and Zionist Intervention
Demonstrations have erupted across Syria, concentrated in the southwestern province of Suweida, as people condemn the mass killings of Alawites in the coastal region. Protesters are also voicing their opposition to what they view as Israeli interference in the internal affairs of the Arab nation.
Hundreds of demonstrators, among them women and children, assembled in a central square in Suweida on Friday, calling for the removal of militants linked to Syria’s governing Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) regime. This demand comes in the wake of lethal sectarian clashes that occurred last month.
Demonstrators waved signs demanding the establishment of a humanitarian corridor from neighboring Jordan.
Protesters criticized the HTS authorities for enforcing a blockade across multiple areas within Suweida province.
Activist Rawan Abu Assaf stated that the demonstrators’ calls for action encompassed the “removal of the blockade on Suweida province and the withdrawal of HTS forces from all of its villages.”
Reports indicate that similar demonstrations took place in the southwestern province of Dara’a as well as in the outskirts of Damascus.
Demonstrators vociferously emphasized their commitment to Syrian national identity, firmly denouncing any form of external military or political involvement in the country.
The protests signaled a growing wave of public discontent over foreign interference and internal authoritarian measures.
The HTS administration faced criticism following its announcement of launching a local investigation into the recent events.
Protesters have dismissed the committee’s legitimacy, arguing that “the aggressor cannot investigate its own crimes,” and are calling for an international investigation to be conducted instead.
The demonstrations demanded transparency regarding the whereabouts of hundreds of missing Suweida residents and denounced the incitement and misinformation disseminated by officials from HTS and their affiliated media channels.
Protesters have called on Damascus to permit foreign journalists to access Suweida, following reports that forces loyal to the ruling regime have recently restricted press entry.
Violence against Syria’s Alawite community continues in the wake of the harsh offensive launched by HTS forces in March.
Reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights have indicated that at least 1,600 Alawite civilians lost their lives in over 55 distinct massacres across a three-day period starting on March 7. These attacks were reportedly accompanied by systematic looting and the burning of Alawite homes.
Following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government, the Israeli military has conducted airstrikes targeting military installations, facilities, and arsenals associated with Syria’s former army.
Israel has faced widespread condemnation for ending the 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria, amid accusations of taking advantage of the turmoil following Assad’s downfall to seize territory.
The United Nations has denounced the persistent Israeli assaults within Syrian territory, as well as repeated violations in and around the buffer zone established under the 1974 ceasefire agreement with Damascus.
