Shafaq News – Beirut
US Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack reaffirmed Washington’s backing of the current Syrian government on Monday, while sharply criticizing Israel’s recent military intervention in Syria as “poorly timed” and destabilizing.
His remarks came after more than a week of deadly clashes in southern Syria’s Suwayda province involving Druze armed factions, Sunni Bedouin tribes, Syrian government forces, and Israeli airstrikes.
“There is no Plan B,” Barrack told the Associated Press during a visit to Beirut, emphasizing the Trump administration’s commitment to working with Damascus. “The current government of Syria, in my opinion, has conducted themselves as best they can as a nascent government with very few resources to address the multiplicity of issues that arise in trying to bring a diverse society together.”
Barrack also announced a ceasefire between Syria and Israel over the weekend but declined to share details. Syrian troops have since redeployed to Suwayda in an effort to contain further violence, and civilian evacuations began Monday morning.
The recent fighting has killed over 900 people. Syrian forces initially entered the area to restore order but reportedly aligned with Bedouin groups. Witnesses and local reports accused government troops of killing Druze civilians and looting homes before withdrawing under a ceasefire negotiated with Druze factions.
In a rare move, Israel launched several airstrikes last week in support of the Druze — a minority community with strong ties to Israel, where many Druze serve in the Israeli military. The strikes targeted Syrian military convoys in Suwayda and hit the Ministry of Defense in central Damascus.
“The United States was not asked, nor did they participate in that decision, nor was it the United States’ responsibility in matters that Israel feels is for its own self-defense,” Barrack said. Still, he warned that the Israeli strikes “create another very confusing chapter” and “came at a very bad time.”
Calling the escalating violence “intolerable,” Barrack urged all sides to end the bloodshed. “The killing, the revenge, the massacres on both sides must stop.”