US hints at DEAL to end Israel-Syria war: Macro Rubio says 'specific steps' in place - Here's what we know

In a major diplomatic development, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington and the concerned parties have agreed on "specific steps" that will bring the tensions between Israel and Syria to an "end tonight". His statements came after Israel doubled down its offensive in Syria and launched airstrikes hitting Syria’s Defence Ministry headquarters and state TV. The Israeli Defence Forces also moved more troops to the border area to prevent attacks against the Druze minority community in the region. Israel's attack came after clashes broke out between Druze minority in Sweida and Syrian 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. Earlier, while speaking to reporters at the White House, Rubio had 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.” “It led to an unfortunate situation and a misunderstanding, it looks like, between the Israeli side and the Syrian side,” he added.

Ceasefire between Syrian forces and Druze minority leaders

Meanwhile, Syrian government officials and leaders in the Druze religious minority announced a renewed ceasefire after days of clashes that have threatened to unravel the country’s postwar political transition. Convoys of government forces began withdrawing from the city of Sweida, but it was not immediately clear if the agreement, announced by Syria’s Interior Ministry and in a video message by a Druze religious leader, would hold. A previous ceasefire announced Tuesday quickly fell apart, and a prominent Druze leader, Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri, disavowed the new agreement. Israeli strikes also continued after the ceasefire announcement.

How did the situation escalate?

Israel has significantly intensified its military campaign in Syria, targeting regime forces and key infrastructure in and around the capital, Damascus. In a major escalation, Israeli warplanes struck the Syrian Defence Ministry in central Damascus. The escalation began with tit-for-tat kidnappings and attacks between local Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze armed factions in the southern province of Sweida. Government forces that intervened to restore order clashed with the Druze militias, but also in some cases attacked civilians. Meanwhile, the Israeli attack killed three people and wounded 34 others, as per Syrian officials.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz took to X, shortly after the initial strike, declaring that “the painful blows have begun.” In a direct warning, Katz stated that Israel “will continue to attack regime forces until they withdraw from the area” and added that “the bar of responses will soon be raised” if Syria fails to heed the warning.