Amidst clashes in Syria, Netanyahu threatens Israeli strikes ‘to defend Druze in Syria’

Following clashes on Tuesday in the town of Jaramana, southeast of Damascus, which saw over a dozen people killed, the Israeli government promised to act to protect the Druze community in Syria. 

The clashes broke out after armed Sunni militant groups entered the predominantly Druze town, in response to an audio recording purportedly featuring Sheikh Marwan Kiwan, a Druze cleric, insulting the Prophet Muhammad. 

The fighting erupted when the armed Sunni gunmen from the nearby towns entered Jaramana and began attacking Druze residents. 

Similar clashes erupted in the town of Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, another town with a large Druze population. 

Sheikh Kiwan later released a video statement denying that the voice in the recording belonged to him, and accusing sectarian groups of attempting to stir up division and violence. 

The Syrian Ministry of Interior later released a statement confirming Sheikh Kiwan’s denial, and calling on the public to “respect public order and avoid any individual or collective actions that could endanger lives, property, or public security.” 

The fighting is the latest episode of deadly sectarian violence in Syria following the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024. In March, Sunni militants attacked and killed hundreds of Alawites in the western coastal region of the country, before the regime imposed order. 

There appeared to be a period of calm following statements by both regime and Druze leaders, urging an end to sectarian violence, and a declaration of a curfew in the affected areas. However, on Wednesday morning, the violence renewed as Sunni militants from other areas of the country began to release videos threatening a massacre, and some of the militants began traveling towards the affected areas. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz released a joint statement, calling on the Syrian regime to “prevent harm to the Druze,” and warning that Israel would act to protect the Druze community. 

“As per the directive of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz to IDF Chief-of-Staff, Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, the IDF has carried out a warning operation and struck elements of an extremist group that was preparing to continue attacks on the Druze population in the town of Sahnaya, in the Damascus district in Syria,” the government said in the statement. 

“At the same time, a stern message was conveyed to the Syrian regime: Israel expects it to act to prevent harm to the Druze.” 

“Especially on Memorial Day for the Fallen of Israel's Wars, on which we honor the great contribution of the Druze community to the security of Israel and the memory of the Druze fallen who gave their lives to defend the State of Israel, we ascribe great importance to realizing our obligation to the Druze community in Israel and to defend their brothers in Syria,” the statement continued. “Israel will not allow the Druze community in Syria to be harmed given the deep commitment to our Druze brothers in Israel, who are bound by family ties and history to their Druze brothers in Syria.” 

Syrian accounts on social media confirmed the IDF airstrike, despite the Syrian government not officially commenting. 

Syrian media largely condemned the spread of the audio as a deliberate attempt to fuel strife between Sunni and Druze communities, calling it a provocation by Sunni hardliners or external actors. However, Syrian social media was full of statements by government-aligned militias, proclaiming their intention to travel to the areas to kill Druze for insulting the prophet of Islam. 

The Druze outlet Suwayda News slammed the Syrian government’s Public Internal Security forces for their slow response to the violence in Jaramana. The outlet accused the government of failing to secure checkpoints and of allowing Sunni Islamist groups to pass through and attack Druze areas. 

A social media account calling itself the Syrian Democratic Observatory claimed that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) forces were using “Shaheen” drones during the fighting in Sahnaya. The account also claimed that Israeli warplanes broke the sound barrier over Sahnaya several times after striking a group of militants gathering near the town. 

The Israeli military also released a statement on Wednesday afternoon, saying that Chief of Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir “instructed the IDF to prepare to strike targets belonging to the Syrian regime should the violence against Druze communities continue.” 

“Today (Wednesday), the Israeli Air Force struck operatives on the outskirts of Damascus who had attacked Druze civilians,” the statement read. “The IDF is monitoring developments in the region, and IDF troops are deployed and prepared for defense and developments in the area of Syria.” 

As the article was going to publication, the Syrian Democratic Observatory account reported another airstrike on Sunni militants gathering near Sahnaya. That report has not yet been officially confirmed, although it was echoed by several other Syrian accounts.