📰 8 sources 9 articles · 13 Oct 2026, 20:40 → 4 days ago

Syria accuses Israel of arming groups in Sweida and destabilizing the country

Syria accused Israel of arming outlaw armed groups in Sweida province in southern Syria and supplying them with money, in a move aimed at weakening Damascus and destabilizing the country. The accusation was made by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani during a joint press conference in Damascus with OPCW Director-General Sabrina Dalafior, which also addressed a roadmap for closing the chemical weapons file. This coincided with reports of continuing Israeli incursions in southern Syria.

📍 Where things stand: Syrian accusations that Israel supports armed groups in Sweida remain standing, amid Damascus's calls for serious engagement with US-sponsored negotiations and a return to the 1974 agreement.

⏱️ Timeline

13 Oct 2026, 20:40 Syria accused Israel of arming militias in Sweida province in southern Syria, in a bid aimed at weakening Damascus.
13 Oct 2026, 22:50 During a joint press conference in Damascus with OPCW Director-General Sabrina Dalafior, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani accused Israel of supporting outlaw armed groups in Sweida province and providing them with weapons and money to destabilize the country, and called on Israel to seriously engage with US-sponsored negotiations to reach an agreement that respects Syria's security and sovereignty.
14 Oct 2026, 00:18 Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani called for a return to the 1974 agreement and for serious engagement with the negotiation track sponsored by Washington, during the press conference in Damascus with OPCW Director-General Sabrina Dalafior, which addressed a roadmap for closing the Syrian chemical weapons file.
14 Oct 2026, 09:51 A news report said Israeli forces are continuing their incursions in southern Syria and setting up military checkpoints in more than one place, while Syrian state television reported that Israeli forces blew up abandoned military fortifications in the western Damascus countryside and raided homes in the Quneitra countryside.
14 Oct 2026, 12:55 Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani accused Israel of continuing to undermine stability, occupying new lands in the southern areas, carrying out arbitrary arrests and displacing citizens since 8 December 2024, with the fate of dozens still unknown, and said Israeli financial and arms support for outlaw armed groups in Sweida province continues.

Timeline written by AI from the sources below; updated as new reports arrive.

How the sources covered it

Most sources focused on Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani's remarks at the press conference with the OPCW Director-General and his accusation against Israel, while one source led with Israeli field incursions in southern Syria, and another broadened the accusation to wider claims such as displacement and arrests since 8 December 2024.

ميدل ايست اونلاين Presented the news as a Syrian accusation that Israel is arming militias in Sweida to weaken Damascus, attributed to the Syrian side without naming a specific official.
عرب 48 Focused on Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani's remarks at a joint press conference with Sabrina Dalafior, his call on Israel to seriously engage with US-sponsored negotiations, and his appeal to the international community to act.
رأي اليوم Highlighted the description of the groups as "outlaw" and the stated aim of "igniting chaos and destabilizing Syria" in reporting al-Shibani's remarks.
الشرق للأخبار Added the demand to return to the 1974 agreement and the call for serious engagement with the negotiation track, linking the remarks to the press conference that addressed a roadmap for closing the Syrian chemical weapons file.
新华网 Led with the continuing Israeli incursions in southern Syria and the setting up of military checkpoints, citing Syrian state television on the blowing up of abandoned fortifications in the western Damascus countryside and raids in the Quneitra countryside, then included al-Shibani's remarks.
Masrawy Broadened the accusation to include the occupation of new lands in the southern areas, arbitrary arrests and displacement since 8 December 2024 with the fate of dozens unknown, alongside financial and arms support for groups in Sweida.