About 153,000 Druze are Israeli citizens, living mainly in the north of the country. In the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in 1967, more than 22,000 Druze have permanent resident status, but they maintain ties with relatives in Syria. Only about 1,600 have taken up the offer of Israeli citizenship.

In Syria, the Druze make up 3% of the total population, and they live mainly in the south of the country - in the province of Suwayda.

Netanyahu today described the situation in the Suwayda province as very serious and called on the Druze not to go to Syria.

The Israeli army announced earlier today that it had struck the Syrian army headquarters in Damascus.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the Israeli army is determined to fight against forces attacking the Druze in the Suwayda province and to ensure that these forces withdraw completely.