Netanyahu Delineates ‘Red Lines’ in Syria as Sharaa Accuses Israel of Sowing Civil War

Latest Developments

‘Protecting Our Druze Brothers’: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on July 17 laid out two red lines regarding Israel’s use of military force in Syria, following days of intense airstrikes against Syrian government and military targets. “Demilitarizing the area south of Damascus, from the Golan Heights to the Druze mountains, is one [red] line,” he stated. “The second is protecting the brothers of our brothers, the Druze in the Druze mountains.” Netanyahu added that Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government had violated both red lines, saying, “It sent an army south of Damascus, into the area that should be demilitarized, and it began to massacre the Druze.”
Confirmation of Ceasefire: In his statement, Netanyahu also confirmed that a ceasefire had been agreed upon in Syria, which had been “achieved through force.” The prime minister added that the doctrine of “peace through strength” would “be the continuation of [Israel’s] policy” and that Jerusalem would “not allow military forces to descend south of Damascus and not allow the Druze to be harmed.” According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, some 516 people have been killed in the violence — including 233 people from the majority Druze As-Suwayda Governate and 261 Syrian Defense Ministry and Public Security personnel — after the Syrian government sent troops on July 14 to quell an eruption of sectarian fighting between Druze militias and Bedouin factions in southern Syria.
Sharaa Asserts He Will Seek Justice for Syrian Druze: In a July 16 televised speech, Sharaa emphasized that the Druze population in Syria was “a fundamental part of the fabric of this nation” and vowed to hold “accountable those who transgressed and abused [Syria’s] Druze people.” He added that agreements had been reached to transfer responsibility for the security of Suwayda to religious elders and local factions “based on the supreme national interest,” amid reports that Syrian military forces were withdrawing from the southern region. The Syrian president also accused Israel of waging “a war whose goal is to fragment our homeland, undermine our efforts, and bring about anarchy and destruction.”

FDD Expert Response

“The ceasefire creates an opportunity for all sides to seek a political resolution, which should be possible. Damascus needs to make credible commitments to protect minorities. The Druze can now negotiate without having to fight at the same time. Israel can leverage its military strength at the negotiating table to secure an agreement that protects the Druze so the IDF doesn’t have to conduct recurring operations in Syria.” — David Adesnik, Vice President of Research

“Sharaa understood that he risks a broader conflict with Israel if he maintained the military campaign against the Druze militias. The withdrawal of his forces from Suwayda means that the conflict has been averted for now, but it is far from over. In the long term, Sharaa is unlikely to allow Suwayda to maintain local autonomy, but he must understand that a political solution is the only option to pursue with the Druze.” — Ahmad Sharawi, Research Analyst