The United States said early Saturday that it had negotiated a ceasefire between Israel and Syria's government as new clashes erupted in Syria's Druze heartland following violence that prompted massive Israeli strikes.

Israeli bombing and government’s apparent complicity in sectarian clashes have damaged efforts to unify country

Under Israeli bombardment and diplomatic pressure, Ahmed al-Sharaa pulled troops from Syria's Druze heartland -- a move that exposes the interim leader's weakness just as he sought to assert control.

The leaders of Israel and Syria have agreed to a ceasefire days after major Israeli strikes, a US envoy said on Friday, as he urged all sides in

“We came here to work,” said Ismael Abu Al Khayer, who’s in charge of community relations. He portrayed Damascus as backward compared to Idlib. “We have electricity, food and water, and high-speed internet. We have modern cars. You can pay bills by phone. It is an electronic government,” he said, referring to his former city.

The Islamist-led government's troops withdrew from the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, where scores of people have been killed in days of conflict.

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa credited U.S., Arab, and Turkish mediation—led by President Donald Trump—for halting a full-scale war between Syria and Israel following intense Israeli airstrikes on Damascus.

The Israel Defense Force attacks regime troops affiliated with Syria’s interim president, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, while the new Damascus regime’s

An attempt at forced centralization backfires with Druze and Israelis.