Syrian President says unifying nation ‘shouldn’t be with blood’

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa [Muhammad al-Jolani] has mentioned the battle to unify his nation after years of civil warfare “should not be with blood”, rejecting any partition and accusing Israel of meddling within the south.

His remarks, launched by state TV on Sunday (August 17, 2025), got here as tons of demonstrated in south Syria’s Sweida province, denouncing sectarian violence final month and calling for the precise to self-determination for the Druze-majority province.

“We still have another battle ahead of us to unify Syria, and it should not be with blood and military force… it should be through some kind of understanding because Syria is tired of war,” Mr. Sharaa mentioned throughout a dialogue session involving notables from the northwest province of Idlib and different senior officers.

“I do not see Syria as at risk of division. Some people desire a process of dividing Syria and trying to establish cantons… this matter is impossible,” he mentioned based on a recording of the assembly, distributed in a single day by state media.

“Some parties seek to gain power through regional power, Israel or others. This is also extremely difficult and cannot be implemented,” he mentioned.

At the protest in Sweida, some demonstrators waved the Israeli flag and known as for self-determination for the area.

Per week of bloodshed in Sweida started on July 13 with clashes between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin, however quickly escalated, drawing in authorities forces, with Israel additionally finishing up strikes.

Syrian authorities have mentioned their forces intervened to cease the clashes, however witnesses, Druze factions and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights have accused them of siding with the Bedouin and committing abuses towards the Druze, together with abstract executions.

Mr. Sharaa mentioned that Sweida “witnessed many violations from all sides… some members of the security forces and army in Syria also carried out some violations”.

The state is required “to hold all perpetrators of violations to account”, no matter their affiliation, he added.

“Israel is intervening directly in Sweida, seeking to implement policies aimed at weakening the state in general or finding excuses to interfere in ongoing policies in the southern region,” Mr. Sharaa mentioned.

Israel, which has its personal Druze group, has mentioned it has acted to defend the minority group in addition to implement its calls for for the demilitarisation of southern Syria.

Syria’s new authorities are additionally in talks with a semi-autonomous Kurdish administration that runs swathes of the nation’s north and northeast and has known as for decentralisation, which Damascus has rejected.

Implementation of a March 10 deal on integrating the Kurds’ semi-autonomous civil and navy establishments into the state has been held up by variations between the events.

“We are now discussing the mechanisms for implementation” of the deal, Mr. Sharaa mentioned.