Syria's new government sent troops to quell fighting between the Druze religious minority and Sunni Muslim tribes. Then Israel intervened, bombing Damascus.

BEIRUT (AP) — A U.S. envoy doubled down on Washington’s support for Syria’s new government, saying Monday there is “no Plan B” to working with it to unite the country still reeling from years of civil war and wracked by new sectarian violence.

Eds: This story was supplied by The Conversation for AP customers. The Associated Press does not guarantee the content.

State Department says 'engaging diplomatically' with Israel, Syria at 'highest levels' to address present crisis - Anadolu Ajansı

Israel bombed the Syrian army headquarters in Damascus on Wednesday after warning the Islamist-led government to leave the Druze minority alone in its Sweida heartland, where a war monitor says sectarian clashes have killed nearly 250 people.

The Syrian government announced a ceasefire Tuesday after it intervened to quell the deadliest outburst of sectarian violence since March, clashes that prompted Israeli airstrikes. The ceasefire, however,

The US said it has brokered steps to ease tensions between Israel and Syria, after recent clashes and Israeli airstrikes in Syria. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the involved parties have agreed on “specific steps” aimed at ending tensions.

Twenty Palestinians were killed at a food distribution center run by an Israeli-backed American organization in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, mostly from being trampled, the group said. They were the first deaths reported at one of the Gaza Humanitarian Fund sites,