Israel Defends Syrian Druze Amid Sweida Bloodbath; Erdogan Condemns Strikes as ‘Terrorism’
by Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – Israel has launched a forceful military intervention in southern Syria aimed at protecting the embattled Druze minority, after more than 500 people were killed in four days of bloody conflict in the province of As-Suwayda. The fighting, sparked by sectarian tensions between Druze militias, Bedouin tribal fighters, and Syrian regime forces, was intensified by alleged atrocities against Druze civilians–prompting Israel to act.
The Israeli Air Force carried out precision airstrikes on military facilities in Damascus and southern Syria on Wednesday, targeting Syrian forces accused of mass executions and brutal repression. Among the 516 reported dead, at least 71 were Druze civilians, including children and women, while 83 others were executed in the field by regime security personnel, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu justified the strikes as necessary to enforce two longstanding red lines: preventing Syrian military entrenchment near Israel’s borders and safeguarding the Druze population. “The regime sent its army south of Damascus, into what should be a demilitarized zone, and began to massacre the Druze. We could not accept this in any way,” Netanyahu declared in a video statement. “The ceasefire was achieved through force. Not through requests, not through pleas — through force.”
Israel’s Druze community, numbering around 150,000 and including many IDF veterans, demanded protection for their Syrian brethren after disturbing footage surfaced showing Syrian soldiers humiliating Druze clerics and desecrating Druze symbols. Protesters gathered along Israel’s northern border, calling on the government to intervene.
The IDF admitted on Thursday that it was unprepared for the scale of the civilian response. Over 1,000 Israeli Druze crossed into Syria to assist local fighters, while dozens of Syrian Druze entered Israeli territory seeking refuge. Two Israeli Druze men, aged 18 and 20, were arrested at the border after returning with a Kalashnikov rifle. Border Police are now working to patch breaches and coordinate returns with community leaders.
Despite a ceasefire announced by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, clashes resumed Thursday. A Bedouin commander told Reuters that tribal forces were still fighting to free their detained comrades, claiming the ceasefire only applied to Syrian government forces, not local militias. Shelling and gunfire continued in parts of Sweida throughout the day.
While the United States and France urged de-escalation and investigations into reported abuses, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Israel’s involvement in blistering terms. “Israel, using the Druze as an excuse, has been expanding its banditry into neighboring Syria over the past two days,” Erdogan said in a televised speech after his weekly cabinet meeting.
He accused the Jewish state of exploiting sectarian tensions for territorial gain. “I want to state this once again, clearly and directly: Israel is a lawless, unruly, unprincipled, spoiled, pampered, and greedy terrorist state,” Erdogan declared. “If the monster is not stopped immediately, it will not hesitate to throw our region–and the world–into flames.”
Erdogan’s comments come amid shifting alliances in Syria, where his government has backed the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)–formerly linked to al-Qaeda–now led by Syria’s new interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Sharaa’s regime, which toppled Bashar al-Assad in December, has clashed repeatedly with Syria’s minorities. In March, over 1,700 Alawite civilians were killed in massacres widely attributed to pro-government militias.
Despite Israel’s unease over Sharaa’s militant background, Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to preventing atrocities. “We will stand with our Druze brothers,” he said, emphasizing that Israel’s role is not to control territory, but to uphold human dignity and prevent ethnic cleansing.
As fighting in Sweida shows signs of reigniting, and accusations fly on all sides, Israel’s resolve to defend the Druze adds a volatile new dimension to Syria’s already fractured civil war–pitting historic alliances, minority protections, and regional rivalries into sharp relief.
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