Syria's Interim President: 'We Do Not Fear War'

Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria’s interim president, delivered a televised address to the nation following a new wave of Israeli airstrikes and mounting violence in the southern city of As-Suwayda. He warned that Syria must not become a battlefield as Israel intends, yet emphasized the nation's resolve to defend its sovereignty. “We are not among those who fear war. We’ve spent our lives confronting hardship and protecting our people, always placing the interests of Syrians above chaos and destruction,” al-Sharaa declared, as quoted by SANA. The Israeli strikes come amid escalating clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin groups, especially in As-Suwayda. On July 15, the Syrian army entered the provincial capital to conduct a security sweep. Addressing the Druze community, al-Sharaa called them “an inseparable part of the Syrian nation” and guaranteed their protection. He promised that all those responsible for attacks against the Druze would face justice.