A group of Israeli Druze crossed the border into Syria early Saturday, hours before Syria’s interim leader declared a ceasefire amid fresh clashes between Druze and Bedouin in the Sweida area.

The dozens who entered Syrian territory were part of a larger group of Druze who arrived at the border near the northern Golan Heights town of Majdal Shams, where some of them allegedly shoved Israeli troops stationed in the area to prevent mass breaches of the frontier, such as those earlier in the week.

As of Saturday evening, troops were still working to return the Druze to Israeli territory, the Israel Defense Forces said.

The military said troops and Border Police officers tried to disperse a “violent gathering” of dozens of Druze residents of Israel on the Syrian border.

“After the gathering, the civilians crossed the border fence into Syrian territory near Majdal Shams, while acting violently toward the forces,” the military said.

The IDF said it “views violence of any kind against its personnel and the security forces gravely,” adding that it “emphasizes that crossing the border to Syria constitutes a criminal offense and endangers the public as well as IDF troops.”

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitoring organization, reported Saturday that the death toll from violence in Sweida province, the heartland of Syria’s Druze minority, has risen to 940 since last weekend.

The dead include 326 Druze fighters and 262 Druze civilians, 182 of whom were “summarily executed by defense and interior ministry personnel,” the war monitor said.

They also include 312 government security personnel and 21 Sunni Bedouin, three of them civilians who were “summarily executed by Druze fighters.” Another 15 government troops were killed in Israeli strikes, the Observatory said.

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The office of Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, announced on Saturday an “immediate ceasefire” between the Druze and Sunni Bedouin tribes, who were later joined by government forces.

The presidency called on “all parties to fully respect” the truce.

In a televised speech aired shortly after announcing the ceasefire, Sharaa renewed his pledge to protect minorities, saying that Syria “is committed to protecting all minorities and communities in the country… We condemn all crimes committed” in Sweida.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar dismissed Sharaa’s remarks, writing on X: “Bottom line: In al-Shara’s Syria, it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority — Kurd, Druze, Alawite or Christian.

“This has been proven time and again over the past six months,” he wrote, adding that the international community has “a duty to ensure the security and rights of the minorities in Syria and to condition Syria’s renewed acceptance into the family of nations on their protection.”

On Friday, the United States announced that Israel and Syria agreed to a ceasefire after Israel hit Syria with airstrikes because of the violence against the country’s Druze minority, which has close relations with Israel’s Druze community.

The EU welcomed the ceasefire between Syria and Israel, saying it was “appalled” by the deadly sectarian violence in Sweida that prompted Israeli strikes.

“Now is the time for dialogue and for advancing a truly inclusive transition. Syria’s transitional authorities, together with local authorities, bear the responsibility to protect all Syrians without distinction,” the European Union’s diplomatic service said in a statement.

The EU also called for all perpetrators behind “grave violations” of international law to be held accountable.