After recent clashes between the new Syrian government and the Druze minority, Israel’s military stated on Saturday that its forces deployed in southern Syria were fully ready to protect the Druze, according to Reuters.
The Israeli army “is deployed in southern Syria and is prepared to prevent the entry of hostile forces into the area of Druze villages,” the military said in a statement.
However, a Druze official in Sweida province stressed that there had been “no deployment of Israeli soldiers there.”
Israeli Airstrike
These statements came after an Israeli airstrike that targeted the vicinity of the Presidential Palace in Damascus.
The strike was “a clear message to the Syrian regime: We will not allow (Syrian) forces to deploy south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community”, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement.
Syria’s government described the bombing a “dangerous escalation” amid increasing hostility between the neighbors.
The Israeli airstrike came after Israel warned the Syrian government against advancing toward villages inhabited by the Druze minority in southern Syria.
Importantly, the attack is part of a series of recent violent clashes between pro-government forces and Druze fighters near the capital. These fights caused the death of dozens of people.
Military Operations
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December, Israel has been intensifying military operations in Syria through several bombings across the country. Meanwhile, it has been calling for decentralization and isolation of Syria.
Mainly, Israel has formed its stance based on its suspicion of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and a desire to protect the Druze.
Currently, it is deploying its troops in southern Syria to prevent the return of hostile actions against Druze villages emphasizing its readiness for defense and “various scenarios”.
The Druze
The Druze, a group with the esoteric, monotheistic faith, basically live in Syria, Israel and Lebanon. They represent nearly 3% of Syria’s population and mainly exit in the south.
After the ousting of Assad in December, the Israeli occupation launched hundreds of air strikes on Syria and deployed its forces into the demilitarized buffer zone of the Golan.
At the same time, Israel revealed its full support for Syria’s Druze.
During a clash between government-linked forces and Druze fighters in Jaramana, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the Israeli authorities would never allow the new Syrian government “to harm the Druze.”
However, Druze leaders neglected the warning and emphasized their loyalty to a united Syria.
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