When the newly appointed Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa'ar, gave his first speech before assuming his duties on November 11, 2024, he said: "The Kurdish people are a great nation, one of the largest nations without political independence". His words touched the hearts of millions of Kurds. Many felt gratitude that a top politician acknowledged their plight and their right to exist as people. Unlike many Western politicians and Arab leaders who are frightened to rock the boat with the Mullahs and Erdogan, Mr. Sa'ar continued saying the Kurds have long been victims of Iranian and Turkish oppression, adding that Israel "must reach out and strengthen our ties with them".

The Kurds, especially in the Kurdish region of Iran, are aware that the fundamental aim of Israel's military campaign against the Iranian government has been to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to remove an existential threat that it has been hanging over Israelis for years. But Prime Minister Netanyahu's recent speech about regime change has been welcomed by majority of Iranian people, especially by Kurds of Rojhalet, who viewing Israel's war against Iran not just like any war but rather a new hope and a collapse of a regional order that has been in place since the Ayatollahs took power in 1979.

BREAKING: President of the Kurdistan Freedom Party and Kurdish commander Hussein Yazdapanah declares, "The time for uprising and overthrow of the Iranian regime has come. The Iran regime's machine of repression has been completely broken," signaling a new phase of uprising Kurds… pic.twitter.com/Gu1yi0ZcMY

— KGG (@KGG6766) June 13, 2025

This is evident when going through various social media platforms, where we see a gigantic wave of support for PM Netanyahu and expressions of gratitude to the Israeli Defence Forces for taking action against the Iranian regime. The support is coming from all over the region, and not only from Iranians and Kurds.

Whether or not Iran's regime falls, the status quo has already cracked. Israel's military actions have shattered the image of an almighty Iranian army. The IDF's very sophisticated military maneuver and taking out some of Iran's most influential army chiefs and nuclear scientists brought a lot of disgrace to the Ayatollah's regime. Even if the regime survives politically, its day will come, and sooner or later, a new wave of anti-regime protests will erupt.

Speaking with a prominent Kurdish official in Rojhalat (due to safety concerns, the official's name is withheld), I asked if the Kurds and their political representatives support Israel's war against the Iranian regime. Without any hesitation, he says, "Yes, there is a lot of support on a political level." He says, "Kurdish political parties are reevaluating their position in this crucial moment in Middle Eastern geopolitics. We and our people are ready to rise and fight to overthrow the Iranian regime," adding, "we are seeking to make contact with the IDF".

However, he emphasizes that for this to happen, we need two important features: the "IDF continuing with its precision strikes against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij forces (a paramilitary volunteer militia within IRGC)," adding Israel's military strikes are playing a major role in weakening these two forces. Secondly, and most importantly, he said "both Israel and the US need to start addressing all the people of Iran in their official statements", explaining it's important to acknowledge the existence of decades-long oppressed ethnic and religious minorities of Iran, which constitute almost 45% of the total population.

BREAKING : Kurdish armed forces of Eastern Kurdistan declare, "We are ready to fight," in response to rising regional tensions. The statement signals possible military mobilization. pic.twitter.com/YZXWGBT9BY

— KGG (@KGG6766) June 13, 2025

He adds, "Talking about Cyrus, who is a symbol of worthiness only to the Persian people, is not the right approach". He said it's crucial they talk about the "Kurds, Balochis, Azeris, Baahis, Turkmens, and the Arabs of Ahwaz, and of course the Persians too. Not mentioning Iran's minorities is neither fair nor morally right, Let's not forget Iran's last uprising was a minorities-led uprising, and they were the ones who paid the highest price: mass killings, arbitrary arrests, sham trials that led many to be sentenced to death, and thousands received lengthy imprisonment." Iran's last uprising erupted in September 2022, following the death of Kurdish-Iranian woman Zhina Mahsa Amini, who was unlawfully detained and later murdered by the Mullahs' Morality Police for allegedly not complying with Iran's strict Hijab Law.

Speaking with Kurdish activists on the ground and as confirmed by the Kurdish official, the IRGC has started transferring weapons and military equipment from central Persian cities to the Kurdish cities of Sanandaj and Kermanshah in preparation for a possible eruption of anti-regime protests. The official confirms that the Kurds are feeling "an attack against them is coming. IRGC's checkpoints have expanded throughout the Kurdish region. Young people are being arrested for alleged cooperation with Israel, with some already executed for allegedly working as Mossad agents. These arbitrary arrests and sham trials are aiming to plant fear and intimidation among Kurdish civilians". The official continues, "We are ready to fight, but we need assurances that Israel and the US will assist us. We don't want to see a repeat of the Zhina Amini protests, where thousands of our people were brutally murdered by the IRGC and Basij forces, and tens of thousands were rounded up, with no one coming to our aid."

The Kurds in Iran, who constitute as much as 15% of the total population, have long been anti-Ayatollah. In fact, since March 1979, a month after Grand Ayatollah Khomeini declared his "victorious" Islamic revolution, there was a Kurdish uprising that began against his newly established revolutionary government, which immediately responded by brutally cracking down on the Kurdish population.

In August that year, Khomeini issued a Fatwaa (Islamic legal order), authorizing the massacre of Kurdish people, whom Khomeini called koffar (unbelievers). Khomeini referred to the Kurdish language as the "language of Satan" and said, "Like a poison to the health of the revolution (…) No trace of them should be left in the country". He ordered the army, the police, and IRGC units to be deployed throughout the Kurdish region. Kurdish families with small children fled in horror to the mountains. Kurdish civilians were even executed on hospital beds. The heavy-handed military campaign lasted from 1979 to 1983 and resulted in almost 10,000 deaths, almost 1,200 of whom were political prisoners who were executed by sham trials.

The Kurdish people and leaders alike have taken an unprecedented and bold step by openly backing Israel's military actions against the Iranian regime. For example, hours after Israeli strikes on Iran, the leader of the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), headed by the Kurdish General Hussein Yazdanpana, tweeted, "We firmly support Israel's Operation Rising Lion against the Islamic Republic. The destruction of Iran's military infrastructure and war machine will pave the way of the liberation of the people and bring an end to the regime's aggressive and terrorist activities in the region and across the world".

In my opinion, Israel needs to establish a direct line and support Kurdish forces like PAK, forces who share similar values and are natural allies to Israel, as Kurds and Jews share similar experiences of persecution and the denial to exist as people in their indigenous historical homeland. Add to that they are battling the same enemies: Islamists and Arab and Turkish Fascists.

Suzan Quitaz is a Kurdish-Swedish journalist and researcher on Middle Eastern affairs. She was an Israel-based journalist and podcast presenter for an Arabic and English series, "Exposing the Lies – The Voice of Truth from the Middle East" at The Jerusalem Centre for Security and Foreign Affairs. 

The post The Kurdish support for Israel – and their readiness to join the fight appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The Qatari news network Al Jazeera has reported that Syria's new leadership has reached a significant agreement with residents and officials in the predominantly Druze province of Al-Suwayda, establishing terms for the region's full integration into state institutions.

According to sources cited by the network, the agreement contains specific provisions guaranteeing local representation, including that the provincial police force will be composed exclusively of local residents – primarily Druze. The Syrian government has also committed to appointing both a governor and police commander from among the region's inhabitants. An Israeli source reacted to the reported deal, saying, "We must wait for the details of this agreement to emerge and see and how it affects the Druze. Neither the agreement with the Druze, nor yesterday's agreement with the Kurds, changes Israel's basic posture to the new government in Syria." Israel has taken a very suspicious approach toward the new rulers in Damascus since the downfall of the Bashar Assad regime and warns that they have not shed their jihadi identity.

This development comes just as the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controls substantial territory in Syria's oil-rich northeast, signed a formal agreement with the Damascus government to integrate with Syria's new state institutions. The Syrian presidency announced the deal on Monday, with photos showing interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi finalizing the agreement in Damascus.

The SDF agreement provides for the integration of Kurdish-controlled civilian and military institutions in northeast Syria with central government structures. Under the terms, SDF-controlled border crossings, an airport, and valuable oil and gas fields in eastern Syria will be incorporated into the Damascus administration. Following the signing ceremony, SDF commander Abdi expressed optimism on social media platform X, describing the accord as a "real opportunity to build a new Syria."

These diplomatic initiatives occur against a backdrop of reports of mass killings targeting Alawite minority members in western Syria. On Monday, the interim president acknowledged that this violence threatens his broader efforts to unify the country after 14 years of devastating conflict.

A senior Israeli political source has offered initial comments regarding the newly announced agreement between the Druze community in southern Syria and the central government led by Abu Mohammad al-Julani. "We must wait to clarify the details of this agreement and how it affects the Druze. Neither the agreement with the Druze, nor yesterday's agreement with the Kurds, changes Israel's basic approach to the new government in Syria," the source stated.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz previously delivered a scathing assessment of Syrian President Abu Mohammad al-Julani following the recent massacre of Alawite civilians: "Al-Julani took off the galabiya, put on a suit, and presented a moderate face. Now he has removed the mask and reveals his true face – a jihadist terrorist from the school of al-Qaida, who commits atrocities against the civilian population," Katz said.

The defense minister outlined Israel's security posture toward Syria amid the escalating violence: "Israel will defend itself against any threat from Syria. We will remain in the security zones and on Mount Hermon and protect the Golan and Galilee communities."

Katz specifically addressed Israel's commitment to the Druze population in southern Syria, stating: "We will keep southern Syria demilitarized from weapons and threats and protect the Druze population living there – whoever harms them will be harmed by us."

The current transitional government came to power in December when insurgent forces overthrew the regime of former President Bashar Assad, an Alawite who subsequently fled to Russia, a longtime ally of his government.

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Clashes between US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters and Islamic State group terrorists continued for a fourth day Sunday near a prison in northeastern Syria that houses thousands of ISIS members, the Kurdish force said.

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The standoff followed a bold assault by the jihadists who broke into Gweiran Prison, enabling an unknown number of terrorists to escape and hold hostages. At least 27 US-backed fighters of the Kurdish-led force were killed.

The US-led coalition said the Kurdish-led forces, with its assistance in the form of surveillance, intelligence and airstrikes, had contained the threat.

But several dozen terrorists remained holed up in one wing of the prison, to the north and in adjacent buildings.

More than 3,000 suspected ISIS terrorists, including over 600 minors, are held in Gweiran, the largest of a dozen detention facilities in Syria housing them.

The terrorists were using hundreds of minors held in the same facility as human shields, preventing a final assault, a spokesman for the Kurdish forces, Farhad Shami, said.

The UN children's agency, UNICEF, called for the release of the detained children, warning that violence may spread to other prisons or in camps holding families and children of suspected ISIS members in Syria.

"While it is militarily defeated, Daesh remains an existential threat to the region," said Maj. Gen. John Brennan, commander of the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS. "Due to its severely degraded capability, Daesh's future survival is dependent on its ability to refill its ranks through poorly-conceived attempts" such as the prison attack.

The coalition said the ISIS terrorists seized weapons from prison guards before killing them and attempted to destroy a new, more secure facility under construction next to Gweiran prison.

Siamand Ali, another spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, said ISIS terrorists attempted two attacks Sunday on the prison, also known as al-Sinaa prison. One attack was from terrorists holed up nearby and another from outside the city of Hassakeh, where the prison is located. Both were foiled, Ali said.

Between 150 and 200 terrorists were believed holed up in the northern wing of the prison and an adjacent residential area, including Zuhour neighborhood which was cordoned off by security forces, Ali added.

Late Sunday, the Kurdish-led administration announced a weeklong nightly curfew would start Monday, between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Ali called it a precautionary measure to prevent ISIS terrorists from sending reinforcements to those holed up in and around the prison.

The violence has driven hundreds of civilians out of the city seeking safety.

Earlier Sunday, a Hassakeh resident said warplanes from the US-led coalition flew over the prison breaking the sound barrier. The resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said the US-backed Kurdish forces were heard calling on ISIS terrorists in the prison and in surrounding buildings to turn themselves in. A war monitor, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said helicopters dropped fliers over the city, urging residents to report suspicious activities.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attempted prison break on its Aamaq news service.

Freeing convicts and imprisoned comrades has been a main tactic of the group. During its 2014 surge that overwhelmed territory in Iraq and Syria, ISIS carried out multiple prison breaks.

The attack launched Thursday evening was the biggest by ISIS combatants since the fall of the group's "caliphate" in 2019. Its demise came after ISIS lost its last territory in Syria following a years-long military campaign backed by the US-led coalition in Iraq and Syria.

In the ambitious assault, more than 100 terrorists armed with heavy machine guns and vehicles rigged with explosives attacked the facility aiming to free their comrades. They detonated a car bomb at a petroleum warehouse nearby, creating a diversion and leaving fire and smoke in the air for two days.

A video posted by ISIS late Saturday showed vehicles ramming through what appears to be the walls of the prison, creating large holes. Dozens of men were seen walking in the facility in the dark, seemingly escaping the prison. The Kurdish-led forces said Friday they arrested over 100 inmates who escaped.

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The total number of fugitives remains unclear.

In another video posted on the ISIS news service, the terrorists showed two dozen prison staff, some in military uniforms, taken hostage, including some who appeared bruised and beaten. One terrorist read out a statement to the camera and another stood guard with what seemed to be either a saw or a machete. Both terrorists were masked.

The Kurdish forces said late Saturday the men were probably among the prison kitchen staff with whom they lost contact since the assault began.

In its version of the attack, ISIS quoted one of its fighters in a statement posted late Saturday on its news service who said the attack began with two foreign suicide bombers who detonated two trucks at the gate of the prison and along its walls, causing major damage and casualties. Then jihadists fanned out, first heading to the prison towers and the petroleum warehouse. A second group attacked a Kurdish post nearby while two other groups clashed with nearby patrols and cut supply lines to undermine the prison defenses.

The assault coincided with riots inside the prison, where jihadist inmates seized weapons and held guards and prison staff hostage, ISIS said, claiming that it freed more than 800 of its fighters, some of whom are taking part in the ongoing operation.

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