The Indonesian government expresses deep concern over the worsening situation in Sweida, Syria, where recent violence has led to significant civilian casualties. 

In an official statement released on Thursday, July 17,2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Israeli military intervention in Syria, calling it a violation of the country’s sovereignty.

“Indonesia is deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation in Sweida, Syria, which has resulted in many civilian casualties,” read the statement as posted on its X account. “Indonesia condemns Israel’s military intervention that has violated Syria’s sovereignty.”

Reiterating its commitment to international peace and the principle of non-intervention, Indonesia called for a permanent ceasefire between the Syrian Government and the Druze community in the region. The foreign ministry further stressed the urgency of peaceful and inclusive dialogue involving all sectors of Syrian society.

“Indonesia emphasizes the importance of resolving conflicts through peaceful and inclusive dialogue, that involves all elements of Syrian society, while upholding Syria’s national unity and territorial integrity,” the ministry stated.

Indonesia also pledged to continue supporting the Syrian government’s efforts in restoring lasting peace and stability across the country.

The statement was shared on the foreign ministry’s official X (formerly Twitter) account under the hashtag #IndonesianWay, reflecting Indonesia’s foreign policy principles rooted in sovereignty, dialogue, and peaceful resolution of conflicts.

As reported by BBC, the fighting between Bedouin tribes and Druze militias in Sweida is said to have been sparked by the abduction of a Druze merchant on the highway to Damascus last Friday.

On Sunday, armed Druze fighters reportedly encircled and later seized a neighborhood of Sweida city that is inhabited by Bedouin. The clashes soon spread into other parts of Sweida province, with tribesmen reportedly launching attacks on nearby Druze towns and villages.

Syria's interior ministry later announced that its forces and those of the defense ministry would intervene and impose order, saying the "dangerous escalation comes in light of the absence of relevant official institutions".

However, they were soon accused by Druze residents of looting, setting homes on fire, and humiliating community leaders.

Earlier this year, Israel's prime minister demanded the complete demilitarization of Sweida and two other southern provinces. He said Israel saw President Sharaa's Sunni Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as a threat. HTS is a former al-Qaeda affiliate that is still designated as a terrorist organization by the UN and UK, but no longer by the U.S.

The Israeli military has already carried out hundreds of strikes across Syria to destroy the country's military assets since the fall of the Assad regime. And it has sent troops into the UN-monitored demilitarized buffer zone between the occupied Golan Heights and Syria, as well as several adjoining areas and the summit of Mount Hermon.