 Midhat Pasha was replaced by Hamdi Pasha in August 1880, roughly coinciding with an incident in which Sunni Muslims from al-Karak killed three Druze men, prompting the Druze to massacre 105 inhabitants of the village.A commission was overseen by Hamdi Pasha which eventually concluded with a large Druze payment of blood money ("diyya") to al-Karak's inhabitants, who were officially blamed for instigating the massacre, the establishment of an Ottoman garrison outside of as-Suwayda and a series of subdistrict appointments for the Bani al-Atrash sheikhs.Accordingly, Ibrahim al-Atrash was recognized as "mudir" of as-Suwayda, Shibli in 'Ira, their brother Muhammad in Salkhad and their ally Hazima Hunaydi in al-Majdal.