The conflict between the Druze religious minority and the army in Syria has escalated: Israel, which claims to be committed to protecting the Druze, has now also attacked targets in the capital, Damascus.
Israel has bombed the capital of Damascus in neighboring Syria. The army reportedly attacked the military headquarters and a military target near the presidential palace. Human rights activists reported two Israeli airstrikes on the highly secured General Staff building. According to Syrian sources, at least one person was killed and 18 injured in the attacks on Damascus.
This followed fighting between members of the Druze religious minority and Sunni Bedouins in the Suwayda province in southern Syria. The Syrian government responded by sending troops and other security forces to the region. At the same time, Druze members from Israel crossed the border into Syria to support other Druze. There were also reports that Druze from Syria were attempting to reach Israel to seek refuge.
Meanwhile, representatives of the Druze and the Syrian government have again announced a ceasefire. Whether it will hold is questionable, however. A ceasefire was already announced on Tuesday, but it quickly collapsed.
More than 250 dead since Sunday in Suwaida
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 250 people have been killed in the fighting in Suwayda since Sunday. The casualty figures cannot be independently verified. However, the London-based observatory, which monitors the conflict in Syria with a network of activists, generally considers the information reliable. Druze sources also reported a total of around 250 deaths.
Following the overthrow of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad, the relatively young Syrian government is attempting to seize control of Suwayda, the center of the Syrian Druze community. The Druze accuse the Islamist government in Damascus of targeting members of their religious community in order to advance the goal of a Sunni-dominated Syria and deny the Druze a say.
Israel claims to be committed to protecting the Druze. This is not only because many Druze serve in the Israeli military. They are a religious minority that emerged from Shiite Islam. They live mostly in Syria, but also in Israel, Lebanon, and Jordan. The southern Syrian province of Suwayda is their stronghold and important because of its borders with Jordan and its proximity to Israel.
Katz calls on Syria to withdraw troops
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called on Syria to leave the Druze in Suwayda alone and withdraw its troops. He added that the Israeli military would intensify its attacks on Syrian troops"if the message doesn't get through." He added that Israel is in close contact with the United States and is prepared for any eventuality.
Israel has other reasons for intervening in the conflict: It does not want to allow a military presence of the Syrian army on the shared border - and to prevent an escalation on its own border and on the Golan Heights, which Israel has occupied and annexed.
According to observers, the government in Jerusalem also wants to strengthen the Druze to prevent Iranian-backed militias or Islamist groups seeking to take action against Israel from settling in the area near the border with Israel. Israel sees the Druze as a potential ally against these groups. However, many Syrian Druze themselves reject Israeli intervention and fear outside interference.
Türkiye criticizes Israeli attacks
Turkey criticized Israel's attacks on Damascus, calling them an"act of sabotage against Syria's efforts to achieve peace, stability, and security," the Foreign Ministry in Ankara said. The Syrian people have a historic opportunity for peace, and all parties must support the Syrian government's efforts to achieve it.
