Daijiworld Media Network - Jerusalem
Jerusalem, May 3: Amid escalating sectarian violence in Syria, the Israeli military has said it is prepared to act in defence of the Druze minority, particularly in the southern regions of the conflict-hit country.
In a statement released Saturday, the Israeli army declared its forces were ‘deployed in southern Syria and prepared to prevent the entry of hostile forces into Druze villages.’ The army did not specify whether this marked a new deployment or the extent of its presence.
However, a Druze official in Syria’s Sweida province a Druze stronghold refuted the presence of Israeli troops in that area. “There has been no deployment of Israeli soldiers here,” the official said, adding that the Israeli army's activity remains reportedly confined to Quneitra province, close to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The statement comes after a deadly week of sectarian clashes near Damascus and in Sweida, with Israeli officials expressing concern for the safety of Syria’s Druze community. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned earlier that Israel would “respond forcefully” if Syria’s current leadership fails to protect the minority group.
As part of its humanitarian outreach, Israel said it had evacuated five injured Druze civilians from Syria overnight for medical treatment. “They were wounded during clashes in Sahnaya,” a Druze community leader confirmed, noting they avoided hospitals in Damascus fearing detention.
Since the start of the week, a total of 15 Syrian Druze have been treated in Israel, the military stated.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Israel launched more than 20 airstrikes late Friday across Syrian territory. These strikes followed an attack near the presidential palace in Damascus, which the Assad regime denounced as a “dangerous escalation.”
The Observatory also said that over 100 people have been killed in recent sectarian violence, particularly in Sahnaya, Jaramana, and parts of Sweida.
The complex developments come as Druze clerics and fighters in Syria reaffirm their allegiance to Damascus, even as tensions mount with other government-aligned groups.