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Israeli Troops Deployed in Syria to Protect Druze as IDF Strikes Military Targets

In a significant escalation of tensions in the region, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the deployment of troops to southern Syria on Saturday, May 3, with the stated aim of protecting the Druze minority amid rising sectarian violence. According to Israeli and foreign reports, this move comes alongside a series of Israeli airstrikes targeting Syrian military infrastructure, signaling Jerusalem’s growing concern over the safety of the Druze community under Syria’s new Islamist leadership.

The IDF confirmed that its fighter jets conducted a wave of airstrikes late Friday, hitting military sites, anti-aircraft artillery, and surface-to-air missile systems across Syria. These strikes followed an earlier Israeli attack near the presidential palace in Damascus, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a “message to the Syrian regime” to refrain from threatening the Druze or maintaining armed forces south of the capital. The IDF further stated that troops deployed in southern Syria are prepared to prevent hostile forces from entering Druze villages, emphasizing their readiness to respond to evolving threats. The military’s actions reflect a broader strategy to safeguard the Druze, a minority group with significant cultural and historical ties to Israel, where approximately 150,000 Druze reside.

Syria’s state news agency, SANA, reported that the Israeli airstrikes targeted areas near Damascus, as well as Latakia, Hama, and Daraa, resulting in the death of one civilian in Harasta and injuries to four others near Hama. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) described the assault as the “heaviest” by Israel on Syria this year, with over 20 military targets struck. The violence comes in the wake of deadly sectarian clashes between Druze fighters and Syrian government-affiliated forces in the Damascus suburbs of Jaramana and the southern province of Sweida, a Druze heartland, where SOHR reported over 100 fatalities.

The plight of the Druze has sparked outrage among Israel’s Druze community, prompting protests in recent days demanding action from Jerusalem. Following discussions with Israeli Druze leader Sheikh Muafak Tarif, Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to protecting the Syrian Druze. Additionally, Israel has provided medical assistance to fifteen wounded Syrian Druze, who are currently being treated at Ziv Medical Center in Safed. Syrian Druze leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri has also called for international intervention to shield his community from what he termed a “genocidal campaign” by Syria’s authorities.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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