Syrian Druze try to breach Israel's border fence; IDF struggles to contain them | WATCH

In recent days, As-Suwayda, considered the Druze capital in Syria, has turned into a fiery war zone. Violent clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes in southern Syria have escalated into full-scale battles, with mutual abductions and dozens of casualties and injuries on both sides. However, since Syrian regime forces entered the city, claiming to curb the violence, a true massacre has been unfolding in the region.

Meanwhile, Druze community leaders announced this morning a general and immediate strike and days of rage in response to the massacre in Syria. “Druze community members are flocking en masse to the Golan Heights,” they reported.

According to the latest data, 248 people have been killed since the clashes began, with Syrian regime forces under Ahmed al-Sharaa (also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani) entering As-Suwayda for the first time since the fall of the Assad regime.

The Syrian Center for Human Rights Monitoring reported that 71 of the casualties are residents of As-Suwayda province, including four children and two women. Twenty-one people, including three women, were executed by "personnel" from the Syrian Defense and Interior Ministries. Of the casualties, 156 are members of the Defense Ministry and General Security forces, including 18 Bedouins.

In the past hour, an official statement was issued by the Druze community in Israel, led by spiritual leader Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, stating that Israel’s failure to prevent the massacre of Druze is “a deep and regrettable breaking point in the historic and ethical alliance between the State of Israel and the Druze community.” They added, “If decisive action is not taken, the crisis between us and the State of Israel will deepen in a dangerous and unprecedented way.”

Here is the full text of the statement: “A shocking and brutal massacre is taking place at this moment in the Druze Mountain region in southern Syria. Innocent civilians—women, children, and the elderly—are being murdered in cold blood. Regrettably, the IDF and the Israeli government, despite their explicit commitments, are taking no tangible action to stop the killing.

“This is a deep and regrettable breaking point in the historic and ethical alliance between the State of Israel and the Druze community. The Druze community in Israel has stood at the forefront of Israel’s war against its enemies for two years, sacrificing lives, fighting, and falling in the name of shared values of defense and security.

“Now, we expect the Israeli government to enter the fray unequivocally on behalf of our brothers being slaughtered in Syria, just as we stand at the forefront for the sake of the state.”

The statement further declared: “In this hour of emergency, and given the severity of the events, the spiritual leadership and heads of Druze local authorities declare national days of mourning and a general strike in all Druze communities in Israel. At the same time, the community leadership calls on all its members to prepare by all necessary means to cross the border to assist their brothers being massacred in Syria.

“On behalf of the Druze community in Israel, we have appealed to the Prime Minister, the President, and heads of the defense establishment with an urgent demand for airstrikes to thwart the murderous forces operating in southern Syria.

“If decisive action is not taken, the crisis between us and the State of Israel will deepen in a dangerous and unprecedented way. Silence and standing idly by are no longer an option.”

In the past two days, the movement of al-Sharaa’s army forces has been constantly shifting. Although some military convoys were attacked by Israel, others managed to enter the city, and in recent hours, gunfire has been heard throughout As-Suwayda.

According to reports and harrowing footage, al-Sharaa’s forces are massacring Druze without mercy, looting and plundering their homes, and in some cases firing rockets and shells at civilian homes, setting them ablaze.

It was also reported that al-Sharaa’s forces took over the regional hospital in As-Suwayda, cutting off electricity to all its wards.

Earlier today, Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that the IDF would escalate its responses against the Syrian regime if it does not leave the Druze in Suwayda alone. “The Syrian regime must leave the Druze in Suwayda and withdraw its forces,” Katz said. “As we have made clear and warned—Israel will not abandon the Druze in Syria and will enforce the demilitarization policy we have decided upon.”

He further threatened, “The IDF will continue to strike regime forces until their withdrawal from the area—and will soon raise the level of responses against the regime if the message is not understood.”

According to Syrian reports, overnight, the IDF struck additional regime forces in southern Syria, while violent clashes between regime forces and Druze continue in As-Suwayda.

Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, head of the Druze community in Israel, announced this morning: “In light of the ongoing massacre in the Druze Mountain region in Syria, the head of the Druze community conveyed a message to the Prime Minister and Defense Minister: Choose partnership with the Druze community or with ISIS.

“The Syrian regime must be struck and forced to withdraw from Suwayda. This is an existential war for the Druze community. The Prime Minister and Defense Minister made promises—let them act and stand by their words. Time is critical; it’s a matter of hours.”

Doron Kadosh reported on Galei Tzahal that the IDF deployed two additional companies to the Israel-Syria border out of concern for repeated attempts by Druze from Israel to breach the fence. Last night, a Border Police company was deployed, and now an additional Border Police company and a company from the Golani Brigade training base have been sent.

A Druze cleric called on Druze men to prepare to enter Sytria earlier this morning, and they apparently listened to him because hundreds of Druze massed at the border and succeeded in crossing into Syria, despite IDF attempts to prevent this.

The incident is unfolding on both sides of the fence: Israeli Druze are trying to cross into Syria, and Syrian Druze are trying to breach the fence from the other side.

IDF Spokesperson:

IDF forces recently identified dozens of suspects attempting to infiltrate Israeli territory from Syria in the Khader area. IDF troops, together with Border Police forces, are working to prevent the infiltration and disperse the crowd.

At the same time, several Israeli civilians crossed the border fence into Syrian territory near Majdal Shams. IDF forces are currently working to safely return the civilians who crossed the border.

The IDF emphasizes that this is a serious incident, constituting a criminal offense and posing a danger to both the public and IDF personnel.

Forces continue to monitor the situation and remain prepared for a range of potential scenarios.

Laith al-Balaous, one of the leaders of the Druze community in Syria, said in an interview with Qatar’s Al Jazeera network that the Syrian state must uphold its commitments to the Druze community, protect them, and stop the harm being inflicted on Druze civilians.

Addressing calls from some Druze leaders for Israeli protection, al-Balaous said: “Our position toward Israel is clear—we do not need protection from anyone.” He added that the Druze community stands alongside the Syrian state, which respects their rights, and that it will not accept any division or fragmentation.