British News Agency

It stated that, under the new ceasefire, it would completely halt military operations in the region despite some Druze leaders rejecting the deal and Israel’s pledge to protect minorities.

Earlier this week, Israel launched airstrikes on the Sweida region and then carried out airstrikes on Syria’s capital, Damascus, yesterday. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz demanded that the Syrian government leave the Druze in Sweida alone and withdraw its forces from the region.

The announcement came after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the parties involved in the ongoing sectarian conflict since the weekend had agreed on "specific steps" toward a ceasefire. According to an observer, the previous ceasefire announced on Tuesday appeared to have little impact in the south, where more than 300 people had been killed.

According to the new ceasefire agreement text released by the Syrian Ministry of Interior, "all military operations will be completely and immediately halted," and a committee composed of government officials and Druze spiritual leaders will be established to oversee the implementation of the agreement.

The Ministry of Defense later stated that "following the completion of the clearing of illegal groups in the city, withdrawal from Sweida has begun in order to implement the terms of the accepted agreement."

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, around 350 people have died in clashes between Druze and Bedouins in the Sweida region since Sunday, including government and rebel forces, and 27 Druze civilians were reportedly executed extrajudicially. The Observatory noted that the clashes began after a Druze vegetable vendor was robbed.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara, leader of a former al-Qaeda-linked group that overthrew long-time leader Bashar al-Assad in December, condemned the violations and pledged to punish those responsible.

In a statement on Wednesday, he said: “These crimes and unlawful acts are absolutely unacceptable and are completely contrary to the principles upon which the Syrian state is founded.”