Dozens of Israeli Druze cross into southern Syria amid clashes: Israeli military

Jerusalem: Dozens of Druze citizens of Israel crossed from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights into southern Syria, Israeli sources said, amid deadly clashes between Druze fighters and the Syrian interim government’s forces.

Israel’s military said in a statement that troops were operating to return the civilians safely, Xinhua news agency reported.

The individuals crossed from Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights into the Druze village of Hader in southern Syria.

According to Israel’s Army Radio, the incident followed calls on social media by Druze in Lebanon to support their counterparts in Syria’s southern province of Sweida.

Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Tuesday targeting convoys of Syrian forces in and around the southern Syrian city of Sweida, killing and wounding several personnel and further escalating days of deadly clashes between local Druze armed factions, Bedouin tribes, and the Syrian interim government’s forces.

The Druze are a religious and ethnic minority originating from Islam, primarily living in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel, with smaller communities in Jordan and elsewhere.

Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered strikes on forces and weapons in the Suweida area because the government “intended to use [them] against the Druze”.

Syria has condemned Israel’s involvement and said the strikes had resulted in the deaths of members of the armed forces and civilians.

Earlier on Tuesday, Syria’s defence minister announced a ceasefire in Suweida, saying an agreement had been reached with local dignitaries for security forces to deploy there. However, one Druze spiritual leader urged local fighters to resist.

Following the deployment of Syrian forces, SOHR accused government forces and their allies of the summary executions of at least 19 Druze civilians, including 12 at a family guest house.

IANS