On Saturday, Sheikh Hikmat Salman al-Hijri, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Suwayda, called for an international investigation into the recent events in Suwayda and for the perpetrators to be referred to international criminal courts.
In a recorded speech, al-Hijri said:
Suwayda, the land that has borne the burden of international silence, can no longer endure more wounds. In recent days, it has witnessed a series of crimes that can only be described as systematic genocide—carried out in cold blood and orchestrated from dark rooms by hands accustomed to writing in blood, not ink.”
He continued:
“Children were slaughtered before their mothers’ eyes in scenes that chill the soul. Elders were executed in public squares without mercy. Homes were burned with their inhabitants inside, as if fire had become the language of rule. Civilians were kidnapped and used as pawns in a dirty political game. A suffocating siege lasted for weeks, cutting off water, electricity, and food in an attempt to break the will of an unbreakable people. Random shelling targeted peaceful villages with no distinction between child or elder, home or school. These are not isolated violations but a silent extermination plan unfolding before the world’s eyes, wrapped in media lies about ‘imposing security.’”
He added:
“Using starvation as a tool against civilians is not just a violation—it’s a war crime. According to Article 54 of the First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions and Article 14 of the Second Protocol, it is explicitly forbidden to target civilians or obstruct humanitarian aid. The 2019 amendment to Article 8 of the Rome Statute criminalizes this act clearly in both international and non-international conflicts.”
Al-Hijri strongly condemned the disinformation campaigns led by state media and pro-government channels, accusing them of dressing crimes in the guise of security and promoting a false peace built on the ruins of innocent lives.
He appealed to the United Nations and the UN Security Council to act immediately and end the deadly silence. He demanded an independent international investigation into the crimes committed in Suwayda, the referral of those responsible to the International Criminal Court, the deployment of international monitoring missions to protect civilians, and the cessation of all political and military support to terrorist factions surrounding Suwayda.
He also urged guarantor states to pressure the de facto government to uphold the ceasefire agreement and prevent further violations. He emphasized the need for all militias and armed groups to withdraw beyond Suwayda’s administrative borders to ensure the safe return of displaced residents to their villages and homes.