Shafaq News – Damascus

On Friday, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen renewed calls for an immediate halt to Israeli military operations in Syria.

In a post on X, Pedersen stressed the need to preserve civil peace and avoid retaliatory violence, emphasizing that the only path to stability lies in a “credible, orderly, and inclusive” political transition.

The Envoy urged Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani in a phone call to protect all communities amid rising tensions.

His remarks follow fighting in Suwayda, where Bedouin tribal forces and armed factions loyal to Druze cleric Hikmat al-Hijri have been locked in deadly fighting.

Ongoing clashes have left nearly 600 people dead and triggered mass displacement, with reports of widespread abuses across the province.