'Israel will not abandon the Druze in Syria and will enforce the demilitarization policy we have decided on,' Israel Katz said • Despite this, the head of the Druze community said Israel must do more..
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Syria's security forces enter the predominantly Druze city of Suweida on July 15, 2025Sam HARIRI / AFP |
Hundreds of Israeli Druze crossed the border into Syria on Wednesday, responding to the fighting happening between their brethren and the regime forces in Syria's Suweida.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the Druze to return. "My fellow Druze citizens of Israel, the situation in Suweida, the situation in southwestern Syria, is very serious," he said. "The IDF is working, the Air Force is working, other forces are working. We are working to save our Druze brothers and to eliminate the regime's gangs."
"And now I have one request from you: You are citizens of Israel. Do not cross the border," he added. "You are risking your lives; you can be murdered, you can be kidnapped, and you are harming the efforts of the IDF. Therefore, I ask you - return to your homes, let the IDF operate."
"The Syrian regime must let the Druze in Suweida go and withdraw its forces," Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday. Later, he said that "gestures" warning the regime are over, and that Damascus can now expect "painful blows." To Druze in Israel, he said, "You can count on the Israel Defense Forces to protect your brothers in Syria."
This comes as the fighting in the southern Syrian province of Suweida, with a Druze majority, entered its third day. More than 200 people have been killed after clashes erupted betweeen Bedouin tribes and Druze militias, prompting the Syrian regime to send fighters.
"As we have made clear and warned, Israel will not abandon the Druze in Syria and will enforce the demilitarization policy we have decided on," Katz said. Footage posted online showed fighters loyal to the Syrian regime humiliating and even perpetrating extra-judicial executions against Druze.
Israel has ordered the military to strike regime targets in recent day in support of the Druze in Syria, however the fighting has prompted members of the community to attempt crossing over into Syria.
"The IDF will continue to attack regime forces until they withdraw from the area, and will also soon raise the bar of responses against the regime if the message is not understood," Katz said.
Despite the message of solidarity by government leaders and IDF strikes, the Druze community in Israel has said they are "not taking any real action to stop the killing."
"A shocking and brutal massacre is currently taking place in the Druze mountains in southern Syria," the community said in a statement. "Innocent civilians – women, children and the elderly – are being murdered in cold blood."
"This is a deep and regrettable breaking point in the historical and ethical alliance between the State of Israel and the Druze community," the message added. "The Druze community in Israel has been standing at the forefront of the State of Israel's war against its enemies for two years, sacrificing their lives, fighting and falling, in the name of shared values of defense and security.
"Now, we expect the Israeli government to enter the battle in a way that does not imply any double standards, for the sake of our brothers who are being slaughtered in Syria, just as we are standing at the forefront in defense of the state."
Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif, the head of the community, announced a general strike and mourning in all Druze communities in the country. Furthermore, he called on "all members of the community to prepare with all the necessary means to cross the border, in order to help their brothers who are being slaughtered.
"If decisive action is not taken, the crisis between us and the State of Israel will deepen in a dangerous and unprecedented manner," the statement said. "Silence and standing by are no longer possible."
US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, also the ambassador to Turkey, condemned the "violence against civilians," adding that "all parties must step back and engage in meaningful dialogue that leads to a lasting ceasefire. Perpetrators need to be held accountable."
France called for an "immediate end to the clashes" in Suweida, condemning the "atrocities targeting civilians."
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