US envoy says Israel, Syria leaders agree on ceasefire

The leaders of Israel and Syria have agreed to a ceasefire days after major Israeli strikes, a US envoy said Friday, as he urged all sides in war-torn Syria to lay down arms.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa "have agreed to a ceasefire" also backed by neighbors Türkiye and Jordan, said Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey who is also point man on Syria.

Israel on Wednesday carried out major air strikes inside the Syrian capital Damascus including on the army headquarters. Israel said it was defending the Druze community after deadly clashes between the minority, which has a presence in Israel, and Bedouins in the southern Syrian area of Sweida. 

The United States on Wednesday announced a deal in which Syrian government forces retreated from Sweida. The State Department later said that the United States did not support the air strikes by Israel, its ally which relies on US diplomatic and military support.