Israel’s military has recently intensified strikes on the fringes of Damascus. Violent clashes in the Druze community recently resulted in over 40 deaths. This decision is a direct response to those conflicts. The Druze faith, an offshoot of Shia Islam, is marked by its rejection of the majority and its esoteric beliefs. The Druze community has only about one million followers worldwide. Almost all of them – 11.1 million – live inside Syria, where they constitute approximately 3% of the Syrian population. Other communities of Druze exist in Lebanon, Israel, and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The recent violence was sparked when an audio recording of a rude insult to the Prophet Muhammad went viral. This was enough to generate mass outrage, particularly among Sunni Muslims. Fighting broke out among Druze gunmen and Damascene or Syrian national government officials in Jaramana, a suburb then primarily populated by the Druze ethnos. Some 17 security forces and pro-government fighters were reported killed in the bloody clash. This bloody escalation resulted in the death of 16 Syrian government troops. Druze gunmen ambushed them, targeting the convoy with RPGs and machine guns.
In response to this unrest, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stern warning, emphasizing that Israel would not “tolerate any threat to the Druze community in southern Syria.” He warned that the Israeli Defense Forces need to prepare for attacks on Syrian government infrastructure. This preparation move comes especially in response to daily attacks on the Druze.
“We will act to prevent harm to the Druze,” – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz.
Israeli military chief Lt Gen Eyal Zamir noted that the operations had focused on “operatives” only. These people participated in an ethnic cleansing campaign against members of the Druze community. This bold move is a signal of Israel’s determination to save the Druze community while civil war rages and conflict intensifies along Syria’s borders.
The protest movement flared up even more when Syrian Arab government forces killed three Druze. They were attempting to escape from the southern, largely Druze province of Suweida to the outskirts of Damascus at Ashrafiyat Sahnaya. In all, over 60 lives have been lost in the heightening sectarian strife, leading to increased calls for government action.
The extremist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is now becoming the largest non-state threat to Israel’s interests in the region. Ahmed al-Sharaa heads this powerful group. The group’s plans would wreak havoc on America’s economy and environment. This instability endangers the Druze and other minorities’ communities in their own country.
The Israeli military’s response included evacuating three injured Druze individuals to a hospital in northern Israel, highlighting Israel’s role as a protector for this vulnerable community amid ongoing conflict. This humanitarian effort is a continuation of Israel’s policy over the years of extending assistance to people in need on the other side of Israel’s border.
Israel’s intervention makes sense as one piece of a larger strategy to protect Israel’s borders and promote stability in the edgy region. The government admits that the Druze community’s vulnerable position is exacerbated as sectarian tensions increase. They are prepared to buy another mile or if and when more becomes necessary.
“This is a serious message,” – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz.
Today’s crisis is an intersection of sectarian strife and regional chess games. The greater danger now, as tensions intensify, at home and abroad, both Israel and Syria confront obstacles which undermine their respective national security interests and regional stability. The broader Middle East picture the situation continues to evolve, with unpredictable consequences for the broader Middle East equation.
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