Southern Syria Cease-Fire Takes Effect
A cease-fire in southern Syria that was announced on July 8 by U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, has come into effect.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on July 9 that the cease-fire appeared to be holding with the exception of some scattered shelling in the Deraa area.
The Syrian government has not commented on the cease-fire, but an unnamed government source told the Reuters news agency that Damascus's silence was "a sign of satisfaction" with the development.
In a post on Twitter on July 9, Trump lauded the cease-fire and said it "will save lives."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the cease-fire but said it "must not enable the establishment of a military presence by Iran and its proxies in Syria in general and in southern Syria in particular."
Several cease-fires have been announced during the 6-year-old conflict in Syria, but none has lasted long.
