Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a stern warning on Wednesday morning to the Syrian regime and its president, Ahmed al-Sharaa: "The Syrian regime must back off the Druze in Sweida and withdraw its forces. As we've made clear and repeatedly warned, Israel will not abandon the Druze in Syria and will enforce the demilitarization policy we've adopted. The IDF will continue to strike regime forces until they retreat from the area, and will soon escalate its responses if the message is not understood."
According to reports last night, large columns of Syrian government troops were seen entering Sweida, the capital of the mountainous Druze region and home to the country's largest Druze population. This followed several days of clashes between Druze militias and regime loyalists. Areas entered by Defense Ministry and internal security forces have descended into chaos, with looting and shops being set ablaze. A mass exodus of residents from the city is underway, according to sources cited by the website. Videos shared on social media show regime fighters abusing captured Druze militiamen.
Simultaneously, Israel carried out airstrikes in southern Syria. According to reports, the strikes were aimed at halting the advance of regime forces. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and Defense Minister Katz held a phone consultation about the recent developments in Syria and the attacks on the Druze.
Netanyahu and Katz emphasized that Israel is acting "to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them and to ensure the demilitarization of the area adjacent to our border with Syria." A defense official said, "This is an exceptionally high volume of strikes against regime forces in the Druze Mountain region. Israel sees this as a test of its policy to demilitarize southern Syria and its commitment to the Druze."
