Syria’s Leader Vows Protection for Druze Amid Escalating Sectarian Violence and Israeli Strikes

Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has publicly committed to protecting the country’s Druze citizens, following a surge in sectarian clashes in Suweida province and retaliatory Israeli air strikes. The escalating violence, which erupted on Sunday, has reportedly claimed over 350 lives, prompting international concern.

Clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes have intensified in Suweida, with reports from residents and activists accusing government forces of civilian killings and extrajudicial executions. While Syrian state media reported a military withdrawal from Suweida under a ceasefire agreement with Druze leaders, its durability remains uncertain. This marks the first significant deployment of government forces to the predominantly Druze city since Sharaa’s Sunni Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), overthrew President Bashar al-Assad in December, ending a 13-year civil war.

In his first televised address since the Israeli strikes, President Sharaa emphasized the Druze as “a fundamental part of the fabric of this nation,” rejecting any attempt for them to be drawn into the hands of an “external party.” He asserted that government forces had restored stability in Suweida despite Israeli interventions, which he said caused “significant complication” and “large-scale escalation.” Sharaa also warned that Syrians were not afraid of war, adding that responsibility for security in Suweida would now transition to religious elders and local factions.

Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, affirmed his country’s commitment to protecting its own Druze citizens, stating that Israeli forces were “acting to save our Druze brothers and to eliminate the gangs of the regime.” On Wednesday, Israeli military aircraft struck Syrian defense headquarters in Damascus, a military site near the presidential palace, armored vehicles en route to Suweida, and other facilities in southern Syria. The military’s chief of staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, warned against allowing southern Syria to become a “terror stronghold” and emphasized preventing “disorder near the border fence” after hundreds of Druze crossed into Israel.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reports a grim toll of over 350 fatalities since Sunday, including Druze fighters and civilians, government forces, and Bedouin tribal members. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated ongoing discussions with all parties to de-escalate the “troubling and horrifying situation,” stating that specific steps had been agreed upon to bring the conflict to an end.

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