https://t.co/OIx9ykD6un

Today's NEW #SyriaWeekly newsletter covers in-depth a week of horrific violence in #Suwayda.

It also covers a surge in diplomatic & commercial engagement in #Damascus, the Coastal violence committee report; and much more.

Read here --

https://t.co/OIx9ykCyEP

In the past week, delegations from some of the world's biggest commercial entities visited #Damascus for talks

Shell
Thales
Samsung
Baker Hughes
Hunt Energy
Argent LNC
#UAE National Investment Corp.
x6 #Saudi billionaires

Details:

~120 #Saudi investors are in #Damascus today as part of an unprecedented "#Syria-#Saudi Investment Forum."

$4bn of deals are expected to be signed.

Huge credit to @USAMBTurkiye Thomas Barrack for taking on #Syria diplomacy with such determination & persistence.

From #Syria-#Israel, to #Syria-#SDF & the latest #Suwayda ceasefire talks, 3rd party-mediated negotiations are vitally needed.

Through dialogue, comes peace.

https://t.co/7Xbz4Swwjk

"How Foreign Agendas Hijacked a Local Crisis in #Syria"

This is superb, by @hxhassan -- spot on analysis of the recent violence in #Suwayda.

"We need to stop all this strife... the wise people must work together to realize our shared future... but there is one party who brought all these problems to #Suwayda."

#Druze figure Laith al-Balous, hinting at Hikmat al-Hijri being the primary obstacle to renewed dialogue.

“We were all pre-informed of the entry of government forces into #Suwayda 12hrs before they entered, but some of our leaders did not inform their constituents… so they put up a fight, but not for any particular leader... then #Israel intervened."

#Druze figure Laith al-Balous:

"We secured several agreements with authorities in #Damascus to ensure stability & services in #Suwayda through a patriotic & pragmatic approach... but there were some who did not want this... unfortunately, the sound of their guns were louder than our words."

Laith al-Balous:

NEW -- #Druze figure, Laith al-Balous, says talks are ongoing to secure the release of prisoners in #Suwayda:

Today, Hikmat al-Hijri is "procrastinating in providing lists of prisoners, including children" to mediators. "We hope it doesn't turn out that they are dead," he says.

After receiving clearance from #Druze militias, 27 trucks of aid entered #Suwayda today -- coordinated by SARC & ICRC.

200 tons of flour
1,000 food baskets
2,000 shelter kids
2 trucks of medical supplies

For now, #Syria gov't aid & civil assistance is barred from entry.

Today’s attack in #Syria was tragic enough — but to see people in positions of public visibility (& some who are employed professionally as “experts”) sharing completely fabricated “news” in an attempt to spin this into more than it was is shameful.

Stick to facts.

This is Mohammed Mastat, from #Syria’s Public Security force.

Last night he spotted a suspicious man seeking entry into a church in #Aleppo & pursued him into an alley & tackled him to the ground, where the [#ISIS] man detonated a suicide belt, killing them both.

A true hero.

With US-mediated #Syria-#Israel talks due to resume tomorrow, it's worth noting the reshaping of #Israel's delegation -- to be led by Amb. to the US @yechielleiter & nominated Mossad director Roman Gofman -- both of whom have been more oriented towards a deal with #Damascus.