A disturbing video has circulated widely since mid-July 2025, reportedly showing medical staff at Suwayda National Hospital in southern Syria being rounded up, forced to kneel, and at least one individual executed by armed men. The incident occurred amidst intense sectarian clashes in the predominantly Druze city, drawing international attention and sparking conflicting reports regarding the identities of the perpetrators.
The footage, shared by activist media collective Suwayda 24, appears to show men in medical uniforms kneeling while armed individuals, some in military garb, stand over them. One sequence reportedly depicts the execution of a medical worker who resisted. Dozens of bodies, including civilians and security personnel, were subsequently discovered inside the hospital, with reports from medical staff indicating patients were also killed within the wards.
Multiple international outlets, including the BBC and Le Monde, cited sources accusing Syrian government forces or those affiliated with the defense and interior ministries of carrying out the killings. These reports suggest the attacks targeted the Druze minority, with some witnesses hearing assailants shouting "Allahu Akbar" and denigrating the Druze community. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) also reported summary executions of Druze civilians by government-aligned forces.
Conversely, the Syrian Health Ministry and some local reports suggested that armed factions, described as "outlaws," had seized the hospital, and that security personnel were among the dead, implying they were victims. Syrian government officials stated they were investigating the incident and could not immediately confirm if the attackers were government-affiliated or members of tribal groups. Levant24 argued that the narrative of government forces attacking a functioning hospital did not align with field evidence of prior seizure by armed factions.
The violence in Suwayda has been characterized by escalating sectarian tensions between local Druze militias, armed Bedouin tribal groups, and Syrian government forces. The clashes intensified following Israeli airstrikes targeting Syrian government positions in the area. Druze leaders, including Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri, have called for an international investigation into the hospital events and the broader violence.
Contrary to claims of silence on the incident, the United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) issued a statement on July 19, 2025, highlighting "credible reports of widespread violations and abuses, including summary executions and arbitrary killings" in Suwayda. Numerous international news organizations, including the BBC, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Al Jazeera, have provided extensive coverage and analysis of the massacre and the ongoing conflict.