Overview
- Renewed fighting between Druze National Guard fighters and Syrian government forces broke out in early July 2026, leaving at least two people dead and dozens wounded and prompting rival claims about who started the violence.
- The Military Criminal Court in Damascus began public hearings on July 1 to examine cases tied to the large-scale July 2025 Sweida atrocities, with accused individuals and their lawyers present and more suspects under interrogation.
- Casualty figures from the 2025 violence remain contested: a UN inquiry documented more than 1,700 deaths and mass displacement, a government committee recorded 1,760 fatalities, and independent monitors reported higher tolls.
- The clashes build on a pattern of unresolved local tensions since the 2025 ceasefire, including kidnappings, revenge attacks and exchanges of fire after the National Guard formed under spiritual leader Hikmat al-Hijri in August 2025.
- Civilians have borne the cost through deaths, injuries and large-scale displacement, and analysts say trials without parallel political and security measures are unlikely to stop cycles of retaliation or guarantee Druze safety.