A fragile ceasefire was put into place in southern Syria Thursday after days of deadly fighting. The Druze minority group and government forces loyal to Syria’s new President al-Sharaa got very very violent with horrifying videos surfacing.
The violence began on Friday, July 11th, when Bedouin gunmen attacked and robbed a young Druze man on his way to Damascus. The road was supposed to be protected by the Syrian Army. The attack was part of a larger pattern of kidnappings by Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes who were targeting Druze civilians. In response, Druze militants captured several Bedouin men, triggering clashes.
On Sunday, the Syrian military stepped in, but Druze fighters accused them of siding with the Bedouin attackers instead of protecting the Druze community. The military joined the fighting and exchanged fire with Druze armed groups.
By Tuesday, reports said that Sunni militias had killed nearly 100 Druze. The Druze are a small religious group that broke off from Islam about 1,000 years ago. The faith originated from Islam but developed into a unique and secretive religion that blends elements of Shi’a Islam, Greek philosophy, and mysticism. While they honor prophets from Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, their beliefs and practices are different from all three. They’re known for being tightly knit, not accepting converts, and serving in Israel’s military, because it is a part of their religion to be upstanding and loyal members of whichever country they reside in. The Druze flag has five stripes — green, red, yellow, blue, and white — and some people confuse it with the rainbow LGBT flag. But it’s not the same. Each Druze color represents a spiritual value.
About 150,000 Druze live in Israel, mostly in the north. There are about close to a million worldwide. They are very patriotic and known to be friendly and loving. This is why it has been so gut-wrenching and heart-breaking for Israelis to see videos circulating on social media showing government-backed fighters shaving off the religious mustaches of Druze elders, stepping on Druze flags, and vandalizing images of religious leaders. Other videos showed Druze fighters beating captured soldiers and posing next to their bodies. That’s according to Haaretz.
Israel responded by launching airstrikes in Syria and airlifting injured Druze to Israeli hospitals. Prime Minister Netanyahu warned Israeli Druze not to cross the border, but also promised to protect them. Israel has positioned itself as a protector of the Druze, and has been long concerned with religious minorities in Syria, and the Druze live in proximity to the Israeli border and have historical ties to the region…. So Israel’s military actions are a way to project influence and counter the strength of other regional powers.
After Israel pledged to target Syrian government forces attacking Druze communities in the south, Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said in his first public remarks that protecting Druze citizens is a national priority. He urged the Druze population not to be drawn quote “into the influence of outside actors”
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog addressed the escalating tensions on Israel’s northern border, making clear that Israel will not tolerate threats from Syria. “The State of Israel does not stand idly by when there is even the potential for a jihadist threat over the border,” he said, also referencing the danger facing the Druze community across the border, which he described as “an integral part of us.”
Herzog urged members of Israel’s Druze community to remain calm and not cross into Syria, asking them to “uphold the law” and allow the military and diplomatic channels to operate. He emphasized that Israel is taking action and will continue to do so until security is restored.
BNN tell IDN that 516 people have been killed in violent clashes in Syria’s southern Sweida province since fighting began on Sunday. This includes Druze fighters, civilians, personnel from Syrian government ministries and Bedouin fighters. The Observatory also says more than a dozen security officials were killed in Israeli strikes on southern Syria.
Among the civilian casualties is journalist Hassan al-Zaabi, who the Syrian journalists’ union says was shot dead by “outlaw gangs” while reporting in Sweida. The union did not specify which media outlet he worked for. The Observatory, a Britain-based monitor that relies on a network of sources inside Syria, continues to track the escalating violence in the region.
The ceasefire, which was announced Thursday afternoon, may bring calm, but if it fails, both the Druze in Israel and their supporters will likely demand even stronger action and we are already seeing Druze community members calling on Israel to intervene and safeguard their communities. Brokered by the US Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, it was backed by Syria and Israel, alongside other neighbors such as Turkey and Jordan. Israel’s recent airstrikes targeting government forces in southern Syria aimed to protect the Druze minority. Syrian authorities plan to deploy security forces to enforce the truce and restore stability in the region.
Some even saying that Netanyahu has promised to protect the Druze in the past and must come through on it now. Let’s give a bit more content. Following the end of the Six Day War in 1967, Israel got control of the Golan Heights, which at the time was Syrian territory. As a result, Druze families were split across the border. Today, 80% – 83% of Israeli Druze serve or have served in the IDF, even sometimes surpassing Jewish enlistment rates.
Following the fall of the Assad Regime in December 2024, a power vacuum and instability has led to unrest between Druze and the new Syrian government. Many Druze factions are and have been wary of the new Syrian government.
Since Syria’s interim president, Ahmad al Shaara, took over, minorities in Syria have been subjected to persecution by rebel forces in Syria and some are afraid Syria could become a Taliban-style state.
Meanwhile, Israeli military officials state they are preparing for several days of combat against forces aligned with Ahmed al-Shara’s or Jolani’s regime. Senior officers have acknowledged they were not prepared for the scale of recent events, including the mass attempt by Israeli Druze to cross into Syria. Messages have been exchanged with Syrian government officials through American intermediaries. Sharaa said Israel carried out widespread strikes on civilian and government sites in Damascus, which he described as a major escalation. He said the situation was stabilized through mediation efforts by the United States, Arab countries, and Turkey. Even as families are gathering to reconnect at the border fence after years of separation due to conflict and border security, it remains unclear whether any of the Syrian Druze intended to enter Israel and stay.
The Druze community is internally divided. Some favor dialogue with the new Syrian government, while others are advocating for a more forceful resistance. Meanwhile we are still getting reports that despite the truce, there’s still fighting going on.
Prominent Druze voices are rejecting the reported ceasefire between Syrian government forces and Druze fighters in Sweida, calling instead for continued resistance.
Among those leading the opposition is Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, who has condemned the military campaign as “barbaric” and emphasized that “the continuation of defense and fighting is a national, humanitarian and moral duty that cannot be compromised.” His remarks highlight divisions within the Druze community, as some factions remain determined to resist government forces in Sweida despite ongoing ceasefire efforts.
As a result, Druze fighters have regained control of Sweida after launching a large-scale assault that forced rival factions to retreat, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The shift in control came after a government-declared ceasefire, reportedly brokered by the United States, in an effort to prevent further Israeli military involvement.
Bassem Fakhr, spokesperson for the Druze militia Men of Dignity, says there is no longer any Bedouin presence in the city. The Observatory says tribal gunmen withdrew from Sweida on Saturday evening, though clashes continue in other parts of the province, where armed Bedouin supported by tribal fighters from elsewhere in Syria are still active.
The Israeli Health Ministry has also announced plans to send medical supplies and equipment to a hospital in Sweida, which has reportedly suffered extensive damage amid ongoing sectarian violence. The transfer will be carried out by Israel’s security forces once all necessary approvals from relevant authorities are secured. Health Minister Uriel Buso highlighted Israel’s strong ties with the Druze community and stressed a broader commitment to preserving life wherever danger arises.
Ministry Director-General Moshe Bar Siman Tov said the aid reflects the core values of Israel’s healthcare system and its longstanding alliance with the Druze, describing the assistance as a moral duty. Meanwhile, the fighting in Sweida continues for a seventh day despite a government-ordered ceasefire following a US-mediated agreement aimed at preventing Israeli military intervention.
On the ground, Druze fighters remain engaged in clashes with Syrian Bedouin militias backed by tribal gunmen from other areas. Syrian internal security forces have begun deploying throughout the province, establishing checkpoints to curb further escalation and prevent additional fighters from joining the conflict.
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