Suweida, Syria. A UN investigation said more than 1,700 people were killed and nearly 200,000 displaced during a week of violence in southern Syria in July 2025, with multiple actors committing abuses that may amount to war crimes. The report said up to 155,000 people remain displaced months after a fragile ceasefire.
UN findings on casualties and displacement
The 85-page report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic found that at least 1,707 people were killed in Suweida Governorate, the majority civilians from the Druze minority sect, alongside members of the Bedouin community and at least 225 government personnel. The commission said the humanitarian situation remained unresolved.
Syrian government-appointed inquiry committee
A Syrian government-appointed inquiry committee into the same events said on March 17 it documented 1,760 deaths and 2,188 injuries “from all sides.” It concluded there were “many human rights violations” by multiple parties, including local armed groups and individuals linked to ISIS, as well as members of government and security forces, many of whom had been arrested. The committee said it relied on evidence collection and witness accounts and submitted its findings to the Justice Ministry.
Alleged violations and accountability
The UN commission said violations were committed by all main parties to the conflict, adding that many may constitute war crimes and, in some cases, could amount to crimes against humanity. It said tribal fighters who accompanied government forces during the initial phase operated under their effective control, making their actions attributable to the state, while other fighters were treated as direct participants in hostilities.
Three waves of violence in July 2025
The commission said the violence unfolded in three waves between July 14 and July 19, 2025, about seven months after rebels toppled the regime of Bashar al-Assad, with each phase marked by attacks on civilians and widespread abuses.
In the first phase, the report said government forces and allied fighters carried out killings, arbitrary arrests, torture, sexual violence and looting, primarily targeting the Druze population.
In the second phase, it said Druze armed groups retaliated against Bedouin communities, committing killings, torture, forced displacement, and attacks on civilian and religious sites, displacing nearly all Bedouins from areas under their control.
In the third phase, the report said thousands of tribal fighters mobilized and advanced into Suweida, carrying out widespread looting, killings, and the burning of homes in dozens of villages, with nearly every house in 35 villages reported damaged or destroyed.
What steps should be taken to address the ongoing displacement and investigate alleged abuses in Suweida Governorate?
