'A misunderstanding, heading toward real de-escalation': Rubio says all parties agreed on 'specific steps' to ease Israel-Syria conflic

In a significant diplomatic breakthrough, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Washington and other involved parties have agreed on “specific steps” aimed at ending tensions between Israel and Syria “tonight,” signalling yet another so-called ceasefire.

Rubio’s remarks followed Israel’s escalation of military operations in Syria, including airstrikes targeting the Syrian Defence Ministry headquarters and the state television building.

The Israeli Defence Forces have also deployed additional troops to the border area to protect the Druze minority from potential attacks.

Israel’s strikes were launched after clashes erupted between the Druze community in Sweida and Syrian government forces.

“We have engaged all the parties involved in the clashes in Syria. We have agreed on specific steps that will bring this troubling and horrifying situation to an end tonight. This will require all parties to deliver on the commitments they have made, and this is what we fully expect them to do,” Rubio said in a post on X.

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Earlier, while speaking to reporters at the White House, Rubio said, “These are historic, longtime rivalries … and it led to an unfortunate situation and a misunderstanding … We’re on our way towards a real de-escalation … In the next few hours, we hope to see some real progress to end what you’ve been seeing.” He added, “It led to an unfortunate situation and a misunderstanding, it looks like, between the Israeli side and the Syrian side.”

Earlier, speaking in the Oval Office alongside Donald Trump, Rubio noted that the tensions between Israel and Syria are “historic” and have persisted for many years.

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Meanwhile, Syrian government officials and Druze community leaders announced a renewed ceasefire. Syrian forces have begun withdrawing from Sweida, a city that is home to much of the country’s Druze minority.

However, it remains uncertain whether the ceasefire announced by Syria’s Interior Ministry and a Druze religious leader will hold. Doubts persist after a previous ceasefire declared on Tuesday quickly collapsed, with prominent Druze leader Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri rejecting the agreement.

Despite the new ceasefire, Israeli airstrikes are still ongoing. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that the military would “continue to operate vigorously in Sweida to eliminate the forces that attacked the Druze until they fully withdraw.”

It is almost certain that if a so-called ceasefire is reached and Israel halts its operations, Trump will be eager to claim credit for having stopped another war—and some country or another might even nominate the Potus for a Nobel Peace Prize.