The Syrian government withdrew its forces from Druze-dominated areas in the south on Wednesday after several days of heavy fighting, declaring a ceasefire in the process.

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa spoke to the nation for the first time since Israel began launching heavy airstrikes against regime targets. His speech saw a marked turnaround in rhetoric, which had previously avoided the harsh denunciations of Israel used by the previous government. Al-Sharaa accused Israel of trying to “dismantle the unity of our people,” arguing it had “consistently targeted our stability and created discord among us since the fall of the former regime.”