‘Warning Operation’: Israeli Drones Strike Pro-Government Forces Clashing With Druze Factions in Syria

Latest Developments

• Israeli Officials Reiterate Pledge to Protect Druze: Israel has conducted drone strikes on the outskirts of Damascus, targeting Sunni extremists who attacked members of the Syrian Druze community. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the strikes were a “warning operation” against the extremists, adding that “Israel will not allow harm to come to the Druze community in Syria, out of deep commitment to our Druze brothers in Israel.” A Syrian Interior Ministry source told Reuters that the strike targeted security forces affiliated with the Syrian interim government, killing one person.
• Israel Evacuates Injured Druze: Sectarian clashes between the Druze and Sunni factions erupted on April 29 in the Druze suburb of Jaramana after a recording of a man cursing the Prophet Muhammad was circulated on social media and falsely attributed to a Druze cleric. More than a dozen people were killed, with the violence spreading to nearby Sahnaya the following day, where a further 22 people were killed. Following its strike, the IDF said it evacuated three injured Syrian Druze citizens to receive medical treatment in Israel.
• Druze Leader Calls for Action: Israel has expressed concern over the treatment of Syria’s Druze minority since rebels belonging to the Sunni Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham ousted former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December. Prior to Israel’s strikes, Israel’s Druze spiritual leader, Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, called on “Israel [and] the Jews around the world and the international community” to act immediately to protect the Druze in Syria.

FDD Expert Response

“The Israeli government has broken with precedent by employing its armed forces to protect Syrian citizens from the Syrian government. The IDF’s traditional mission is to protect only Israelis. Today’s strikes may earn the gratitude of Syrian Druze who feel threatened by the country’s Islamist government, especially after the massacre of another minority, the Alawites, in early March. Yet Israel may also find itself assuming responsibility for ongoing operations in Syria to ensure the Druze remain secure, a challenging proposition.” — David Adesnik, Vice President of Research

“Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa faces a tough challenge in asserting control over armed factions all over Syria. In order to demonstrate his pledge to protect all communities, he must gain full control over any affiliates and factions in his alliance to prevent any episodes of sectarian bloodshed in the future. At the same time, he and the Druze leadership in Syria must recognize that only a political solution to their integration into the Syrian state has a chance of preventing long-term violence.” — Ahmad Sharawi, Research Analyst

FDD Background and Analysis

“‘Historic, Festive Day’: Elated Crowds of Israeli Druze Welcome Syrian Druze Clerics Visiting Israel,” FDD Flash Brief

“‘We Will Not Allow Southern Syria to Become Southern Lebanon’: Israeli Warplanes Strike Military Targets in Syria,” FDD Flash Brief

“Israel Secures Its Interests In Syria,” by David Daoud

“Syria’s National Dialogue Committee: A Facade of Inclusivity,” Ahmad Sharawi