DAMASCUS (Reuters) -Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa accused Israel of trying to fracture Syria and promised to protect its Druze minority on Thursday, after U.S. intervention helped end deadly fighting between government forces and Druze fighters in the south.

Israeli bombing and government’s apparent complicity in sectarian clashes have damaged efforts to unify country

Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Saturday pledged protection for minorities in the country shortly after his administration announced a "comprehensive and immediate" ceasefire in the embattled province of Sweida following days of deadly sectarian violence there.

Under Israeli bombardment and diplomatic pressure, Ahmed al-Sharaa pulled troops from Syria's Druze heartland -- a move that exposes the interim leader's weakness just as he sought to assert control.It also came amid diplomatic pressure from the United States.

The United States said it did not support recent Israeli strikes on Syria and had made clear its displeasure, while Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa accused Israel of trying to fracture his country.

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Saturday harshly criticized Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa's response to the deadly violence in Druze-majority areas, saying his speech represented "an expression of support for the jihadist attackers."

Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa urged Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes Saturday to "fully commit" to a ceasefire aimed at ending clashes with Druze-linked militias that left hundreds dead and threatened to unravel the country's postwar transition.

Residents reported calm in Syria's Sweida on Sunday after the Islamist-led government announced that Bedouin fighters had withdrawn from the predominantly Druze city and the United States With hundreds reported killed,