The spiritual leader of the Druze sect, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajari, renewed on Monday his call for an independent political future for Suwayda province, in the context of commemorating the first anniversary of the July events, pointing to the possibility of placing the province under external guardianship or joining another state within his aspirations for the region.

These statements come at a time when Suwayda province is experiencing extremely complex security and economic conditions since the outbreak of protests and bloody events in mid-last year.

In contrast, a local source opposed to al-Hajari's approach in Suwayda expressed opposition to these proposals, affirming the province's residents' adherence to their Syrian national identity despite the extremely harsh living conditions they are experiencing.

He added to Asharq Al-Awsat: 'It is known that Israel and Jordan do not have this orientation; Israel explicitly stated through more than one official that 'it does not support the issue of Suwayda's secession,' adding that the general mood and the majority of residents 'will not give up their Syrian identity.'

Sheikh of the Druze Unitarian sect Hikmat al-Hajari said, in a speech on the occasion of the anniversary of the July 2025 events, that Suwayda province might in the future be under the guardianship of another state or join another state, renewing his proposal regarding the province's future. pic.twitter.com/WLctBtgXNW

— EekadFacts | إيكاد (@EekadFacts) July 13, 2026

Areas under al-Hajari's control in Suwayda have witnessed for several days gatherings to commemorate the first anniversary of the Suwayda events that took place in mid-July last year, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Bedouin residents, local Druze faction fighters, civilians, and army and security personnel.

The same source indicated that the current activities reflect a widespread popular solidarity with the families of victims, wounded, and displaced, denying that this participation carries separatist political connotations, and clarifying that the presence of al-Hajari's supporters in these gatherings remains limited.

Al-Hajari had met on Sunday a delegation from the operations room of the town of Shahba, affiliated with what is known as the 'National Guard,' in the town of Qanawat, coinciding with the anniversary of the July 2025 events.

According to a video recording published by numerous platforms, al-Hajari affirmed that 'the goal is independence (for the state of Bashan),' and that this could be through establishing an independent state, a region under the guardianship of another state, or merging with another state, 'as dictated by the interest of the region's people,' as he put it.

Elements of gunmen loyal to Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajari during a patrol in Suwayda (Archival - AFP)

Al-Hajari also thanked Israel, considering that it stood by Suwayda, noting its geographical proximity in the context of his praise for its positions in the past periods.

For its part, Suwayda province published a statement on the passage of a year since the Suwayda events, beginning with: 'The anniversary of the July events passes, carrying in memory pain that left its impact on the hearts of the people of Suwayda province and the conscience of Syrians in general, after those events claimed innocent lives and caused losses and pains still present in the community's conscience.'

Meanwhile, Maysaa al-Abdullah, a resident of Suwayda city, said that since the beginning of this July, the province has been experiencing 'a state of sorrow and pain for the victims we have lost.'

Al-Abdullah told Asharq Al-Awsat that despite a year having passed since the events, 'the residents are still displaced from their villages, and there are 135 missing persons whose fate is unknown, and there are detainees in Adra prison in the Damascus countryside although they are civilians,' accusing the authorities and the province of indifference. In this context, she noted the ongoing crisis for secondary and middle school students, as only a very small percentage of the 14,000 students were able to take the exams.

An inspection tour by the Internal Security Chief in Suwayda, Brigadier General Hussam al-Tahan, near points that witnessed attempted attacks on Internal Security sites on July 5 (Facebook account)

The speaker added that 'until this moment, the majority of residents adhere to their Syrian and Arab national belonging, but the authorities are pushing residents toward rejecting the idea of Syrian belonging,' according to her.

Aerial photo of Suwayda city amid clashes in July 2025 (DPA)

On the other hand, the security director of Suwayda city, Suleiman Abdel Baqi, said on his Facebook account that the preliminary investigations into a vehicle explosion on the Damascus-Suwayda road on Sunday showed that the explosion occurred from inside the car, denying any indications of being shot or targeted from outside.

Abdel Baqi explained that the criminal investigation teams did not detect traces of gunfire or damage resulting from an external targeting of the vehicle, indicating that the preliminary investigation results suggest that Mamoun Talal Kahil, belonging to the so-called 'National Guard militia,' was trying to plant an explosive device on the Damascus-Suwayda road before it exploded inside his vehicle.

Explosion kills driver on Damascus-Suwayda road, authorities open investigation. Suwayda 24 obtained preliminary details and information from security sources and eyewitnesses about the explosion that occurred yesterday near the village of 'Buraq' on the Damascus-Suwayda road, which resulted in the death of the car driver. The sources reported that... pic.twitter.com/xb1ESOL3Zn

— السويداء 24 (@suwayda24) July 13, 2026

He added that witnesses working in the adjacent agricultural lands reported that the car was seen moving back and forth in the area between the towns of al-Sura al-Kabira and Buraq before the explosion.

Explosion kills driver on Damascus-Suwayda road, authorities open investigation. Suwayda 24 obtained preliminary details and information from security sources and eyewitnesses about the explosion that occurred yesterday near the village of 'Buraq' on the Damascus-Suwayda road, which resulted in the death of the car driver. The sources reported that... pic.twitter.com/xb1ESOL3Zn

— السويداء 24 (@suwayda24) July 13, 2026

Abdel Baqi denied reports that the car was shot on the road, stressing that the preliminary investigations did not show any evidence to support those claims, noting that the Damascus-Suwayda road did not witness any attacks on the same day, and that travelers entering and leaving the province exceeded 2,230 people from Suwayda.

The security director of Suwayda stressed that the preliminary investigation results, if confirmed, reveal the seriousness of these operations, emphasizing the need to deal 'firmly' with any attempts aimed at destabilizing the province's security or endangering civilian lives.

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These calls highlight the divergence of opinions within the local community in Suwayda regarding the fate of the region amid increasing political polarization. The extent of popular interaction with al-Hajari's proposal and the stance of regional and international powers on these orientations remain among the most prominent files that will determine the province's path in the coming period.