Israel strikes Syrian military targets as Druze-Bedouin violence escalates

TEL AVIV: Israeli aircraft have struck Syrian military targets in southern Syria as ethnic violence escalates between the Syrian Druze and Bedouins, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said, as reported by the Press Service of Israel (TPS).

According to TPS, in the last 24 hours, the Israeli Air Force has hit tanks, rocket launchers, weapons, and pickup trucks armed with heavy machine guns, making their way to the Syrian city of Suweida, as well as access routes.

At least 248 people have been reported killed in several days of ethnic violence between the Druze and Bedouins. Government forces loyal to interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa are viewed as siding with the Sunni Bedouins, as reported by TPS.

Earlier, Israeli Druze breached the border near the Syrian village of Khader to help their brethren.

As per a report by TPS, dozens of Israeli Druze breached the Syrian border in the Golan Heights on Wednesday in an urgent bid to defend their kin amid what community leaders describe as a “brutal massacre” of Druze civilians in southern Syria.

The spiritual leader of Israel’s Druze community, Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, accused the Israeli government and military of failing to uphold their commitments to protect Druze civilians across the border, according to TPS. It quoted Tarif, who said, “Innocent civilians – women, children and the elderly – are being murdered in cold blood… This is not a clash between Druze and Bedouins — it’s between the Druze and ISIS.”

In response, the IDF has rushed reinforcements to the border and is bracing for additional breaches and protests, and has requested more police support.

Notably, the Israeli Druze leaders declared days of mourning and a general strike in their municipalities, and called on Druze citizens to prepare to cross the border again if the Syrian attacks persist.

“This is a deep and regrettable breaking point in the historical and ethical alliance,” the Druze statement read, as noted by TPS.

It highlighted the community’s prominent role in Israel’s defence over the past two years. “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 defence of the state.”

Tarif said community representatives have appealed directly to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and senior defence officials, demanding immediate Israeli airstrikes to halt the Syrian offensive. “Silence and standing by are no longer possible,” he said. “If decisive action is not taken, the crisis between us and the State of Israel will deepen in a dangerous and unprecedented manner.” He urged demonstrators to avoid blocking roads, but said protests would continue as long as the bloodshed does.

Earlier in the day, the IDF had noted that it struck the entrance to the Syrian military’s headquarters in Damascus.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial in Tel Aviv adjourned early so he could meet with security officials about the situation.

On Tuesday, dozens of Israeli Druze crossed the border into Syria, while others blocked roads. The demonstrations came hours after the Israel Defence Forces said it had struck Syrian military vehicles approaching Suweida. According to the IDF, the airstrikes targeted armoured personnel carriers, tanks, and roads used by Syrian government forces.

With no signs of the Syrian army withdrawing from Suweida, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned of escalations, as reported by TPS. It quoted Katz, who said, “The signals in Damascus are over – now painful blows will come… The IDF will continue to operate vigorously in Sweida to destroy the forces that attacked the Druze until their full withdrawal.”

The Druze community of Israel comprises around 1,52,000 people, as noted by TPS. It has been calling on the government to take stronger measures to protect their co-religionists in southern Syria.

Around 40,000 Druze live in the southern Syrian provinces of Quneitra, Da’ara and Sweida under Israeli protection. PM Benjamin Netanyahu has also called for the demilitarisation of southern Syria.

Earlier in May, the Israeli army had set up a field hospital to treat civilians near the Syrian village of Hader. Israel had sent forces into the 235 sq km buffer zone to prevent Syrian rebels from approaching the border when the regime of Bashar Assad collapsed in December.

It had also launched waves of airstrikes on Syrian army assets and Iranian stockpiles to prevent them from falling into the hands of radical Islamists.
TPS said in a report that while Israeli forces have briefly entered the buffer zone in the past, December’s takeover marked the first time since its establishment that the IDF set up positions there. The demilitarised zone was established with a ceasefire in 1974 that ended the Yom Kippur War, and Israel considers the 1974 ceasefire agreement void until order is restored in Syria.

The Druze trace their ancestry back to the Biblical figure Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses. In Israel, the Druze serve in senior positions in public and military life, and the bond between Jewish and Druze soldiers is referred to as the “covenant of blood.” The Druze speak Arabic but are not Muslim, as reported by TPS.

The Druze living in the Galilee and Mount Carmel areas sided with the Jews in 1948 during Israel’s War of Independence, and opted to be part of Israeli society and established themselves in all areas of public life.

When Israel captured the Golan Heights during the Six-Day War of 1967, the Golan Druze refused Israeli offers of citizenship, believing Syria would recapture the plateau. But attitudes have changed since the Syrian Civil War broke out in 2011, TPS reported. (ANI)