Syria's defence minister announced a ceasefire shortly after government forces entered a key city in Sweida province on Tuesday.

The Israeli military says it is monitoring "actions being taken against Druze civilians" - but Syria says its forces have been responding to the "source of fire" inside the southern city of Sweida.

A sudden spike in regional tensions has gripped the Middle East as Israel strikes Syria, a fragile ceasefire collapses in Sweida, and Iran's Khamenei issues a sharp warning to the US and Israel., Middle East,

Syrian government forces entered the majority-Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday with the stated aim of overseeing a ceasefire agreed with Druze community leaders after clashes with local Bedouin tribes left more than 100 people dead.

Druse militiamen have been fighting with Bedouins in the Sweida Province, and Syrian government forces and the Israeli military are getting involved.

Syria’s Defense Ministry blamed militias in Sweida for violating a cease-fire agreement that had been reached Tuesday, causing Syrian army soldiers to return fire and continue military operations in the Druze-majority province.

Egypt and Jordan, two peace partners of Israel, have condemned Israel’s strikes on Syria. Israel intervened in Syria to prevent attacks on the Druze in Sweida; however, this is now becoming a possible regional crisis.

The mainly Druze residents of the Syrian city of Sweida had hoped the arrival of government forces on Tuesday would spell an end to deadly sectarian clashes with local Bedouin tribes.