Israel Strikes Syria Amid Clashes Over Druze Protection \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Israel carried out a military strike in Syria targeting a group accused of planning attacks on the country’s Druze minority. The intervention followed deadly clashes near Damascus, which left at least 11 Syrian security forces dead. Tensions continue to rise amid fragile ceasefire efforts.
Quick Looks
- Israel confirmed a military strike on a group near Sahnaya, south of Damascus.
- The operation targeted alleged militants planning attacks on the Druze community.
- At least 22 people died in two days of clashes, including 16 Syrian troops.
- Three wounded Syrian Druze were transferred to Israel for medical treatment.
- A temporary ceasefire was reached after government forces entered Sahnaya.
- Israel says it’s committed to defending Druze communities on both sides of the border.
- The UN condemned rising violence and called for Israeli strikes to stop.
- The Druze, a religious minority, have deep historical ties to Israel’s own Druze population.
Deep Look
Israel Launches Strike in Syria to Protect Druze as Sectarian Clashes Escalate
Amid rising sectarian violence near Damascus, Israel on Wednesday confirmed it had launched a military strike in southern Syria, targeting what it described as an extremist group preparing to attack the country’s Druze minority. The move came as clashes in and around Sahnaya and Jaramana, both on the outskirts of the Syrian capital, left at least 22 people dead, most of them government security forces.
A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office described the strike as a “warning operation”, meant to send a clear message to both Syrian militants and the Assad-aligned regime. The government, Netanyahu said, must act to prevent harm to the Druze, a historically marginalized and often endangered religious minority.
A Fragile Ceasefire After Two Days of Bloodshed
The violence erupted late Tuesday, when Syrian security forces launched operations in Ashrafiet Sahnaya, a Druze-majority area. According to Suwayda24, an independent Druze-run media collective, residential neighborhoods were targeted and chaos spread quickly.
By Wednesday afternoon, a temporary ceasefire was reached following talks between Druze community leaders and representatives of the Syrian government. As part of the agreement, Druze fighters withdrew, and pro-government forces took control of Sahnaya.
However, the situation remains volatile, with reinforcements reportedly en route to the region and international observers warning of further escalation.
Death Toll Varies as Tensions Mount
The Syrian Information Ministry initially reported that 11 security personnel had been killed in the Sahnaya and Jaramana confrontations. But the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said the number was much higher—22 dead, including 16 members of Syria’s security forces and two Druze civilians.
The Israeli military confirmed that three wounded Druze civilians had been transported into Israel for emergency medical treatment, highlighting the country’s direct involvement in regional sectarian tensions.
Historical Ties and Modern Politics
The Druze community—an offshoot of Ismaili Shiite Islam founded in the 10th century—has long found itself at the center of geopolitical struggle in the Levant. Today, over half of the world’s 1 million Druze live in Syria, with others in Lebanon and Israel, including the Golan Heights, which Israel annexed in 1981 following its capture in the 1967 Six-Day War.
Israel has long cultivated close ties with its Druze citizens, many of whom serve in the military and maintain deep familial links to counterparts in Syria. Netanyahu reiterated this connection, declaring in his statement:
“Israel will not allow harm to the Druze community in Syria out of a deep commitment to our Druze brothers in Israel, who are connected by family and historical ties to their Druze brothers in Syria.”
The Israeli Defense Ministry said earlier this year that its military had been instructed to defend Jaramana, a largely Druze suburb of Damascus, amid signs of mounting persecution.
UN and Regional Players Urge Restraint
United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen expressed alarm over the developments, calling the violence “unacceptable” and warning of the potential for wider conflict.
“He is also alarmed at reports of Israeli attacks. These attacks must stop,” said a statement from Pedersen, who has long warned that Syria’s post-Assad landscape remains dangerously unstable.
Meanwhile, efforts to broker peace came from unexpected corners. Lebanon’s Progressive Socialist Party, led by former politician Walid Joumblatt, confirmed that it had opened communication with leaders in Damascus, as well as Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, in a bid to mediate the ceasefire.
Post-Assad Landscape and Israeli Incursions
Since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in December, Israel has expanded its military presence in southern Syria, establishing what it calls a “demilitarized buffer zone” along its border. Israeli officials argue this is necessary to protect civilians—especially the Druze—but critics see it as a bold step into a fragmented and lawless post-Assad power vacuum.
The Israeli government has framed its actions as preemptive and humanitarian, though its involvement in Syrian internal affairs is controversial and opposed by Damascus and international watchdogs alike.
Conclusion
The latest violence near Damascus highlights both sectarian instability and the complex foreign entanglements shaping modern Syria. As Israel expands its protective reach toward vulnerable Druze communities, it risks deepening its military footprint inside a neighboring nation still reeling from years of civil war.
With the Druze community once again caught in the crossfire, the region stands on the brink of a broader conflict that could draw in multiple powers—from Israel and Syria to Lebanon and the international community.
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