In the aftermath of intense sectarian fighting, the eerily silent streets of Syria's southern province of Sweida are filled with the stench of decaying bodies left uncollected for days amid scenes of charred buildings and burned-out cars.

Hosam Saraya, who had returned to Syria to aid his ill father, was executed along with other members of his family. Their killings were captured on video recorded by the gunmen.

Syrian and Israeli officials agreed to meet again after no final accord was reached in U.S.-mediated talks in Paris on de-escalating the conflict in southern Syria, state-run Ekhbariya TV reported on Saturday,

Seven months of relative calm in Syria came to a bloody end last week, when what began as local skirmishes escalated into the worst fighting since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad in December.

Syria under President Ahmad Sharaa remains far from achieving genuine national reconciliation, a meaningful political settlement and unity, analysts say.

Kate Adie introduces stories from Syria, Lebanon, Chile, Pakistan and France.

The Syrian official told Al Jazeera Arabic that Damascus’s delegation at the Paris meeting emphasised that the unity and sovereignty of Syria are nonnegotiable and Suwayda and its people are an integral part of Syria. It also rejected any attempt to exploit segments of Syrian society for partition, the official said.

Sectarian violence in southern Syria is shattering hopes for a united country among the country's Druze minority.

Syria's foreign minister held frank and productive talks with the United States and France at which they said on Friday they underlined the importance of ensuring the success of Syria's political transition,

"Trust must exist first and foremost," Syrian Democratic Council representative to the U.S. Sinam Mohamad told Newsweek.