Sheikh Akl of the Druze community, Sheikh Sami Abil-Mona, expressed deep concern over recent events in Suweida, saying: "We had hoped that an agreement would have been reached before events unfolded, but after seeing the huge loss of lives and other damage, we found it necessary to condemn the heinous assault on Suweida."

He continued: "We will not get into politics today to allow room for de-escalation efforts, in which we are partly involved, and we are committed to our humanitarian duty, at the very least by standing with our people in Suweida."

Sheikh Abil-Mona went on to announce the launch of a broad humanitarian campaign, issuing "an urgent appeal to help ease the suffering in Suweida."

He also called for "lifting the siege on Suweida, securing basic necessities, initiating reconstruction, and compensating for what has been damaged and stolen," stressing the need for "a thorough and transparent investigation into the massacres that have been committed."

Finally, he affirmed: "We will not allow Druze-Sunni strife in Suweida or anywhere else, and we are working to achieve reconciliation, which is why we are constantly in communication with Mufti Derian."

Watch the attached video for the whole speech.