Israel launched powerful air strikes into Damascus on Wednesday (16), promising to destroy the government forces that attack the drusos in southern Syria and demanding its withdrawal.
The offensive marked a significant climb from Israel against the government led by Islamists.
The attacks occurred despite the approximation of and the evolution of security contacts between their administration and Israel.
Describing the new rulers of Syria as poorly disguised jihadists, Israel has stated that they will not allow them to move southern Syria and promised to protect the region’s Druse community against attacks, encouraged by the calls of Israeli Drusan Minority.
Israeli Druses followed with fear and seizure reports of increased violence in the city mostly Sweida Druse, where dozens of people were killed on days of conflict.
On Wednesday (16), hundreds of Israeli Drudent Citizens broke the border and joined Drusos on the Syrian side.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the Israeli army was working to save the Druses and asked Israeli Drrue citizens not to cross the border. The Israeli army said it was acting to return safely the civilians who crossed.
Who are the Druses?
The Druses, an Arabian minority that practices a religion originally derived from Islam, live in a region that encompasses Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and the Golhan hills, connected by a web of family ties that surpasses borders.
The narrow ties between the state of Israel and its 150,000 Drudos citizens, reinforced by the fact that Drudos men serve in Israel’s defense forces, are one of the reasons for the growing Israeli involvement in Syria.
“The Drusos are, in a way, our special minority, I do not want to say ‘our special minority’, but in a way they were the special minority. They were the minority that welcomed us. And thus, the Zionist perspective, the Drudos were really friendly and helpful, and therefore deserve support in return,” said Joel D. Parker, a specialist in the Middle East of Tel Aviv.
Faithful to their culture and each other, the Druses also seek to maintain good relations with the countries where they live.
“I think it is not just a support, but the idea that they believe that, wherever they live, they must demonstrate patriotism e loyalty To your own country, ”added Parker.
Druse solidarity is not Israel’s only concern in Syria, which has been governed by an Islamist group, previously affiliated with al Qaeda, as long as Bashar al-Assad was deposed in December 2024.
Israel sees Islamists as a threat and has sought to prevent their armed forces from entering regions near their border, as Sweida.
During the dawn of Thursday (17), Islamist government troops withdrew from Sweida after helping to end the deadly fighting between government forces and drum fighters in the south.
Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa promised to protect the country’s drus minority on Thursday and accused Israel of trying to fragment Syria.
