Quneitra, southern Syria – A delegation of Syrian Druze clerics crossed into Israel on Friday for the first time in five decades to visit the tomb of Prophet Shu’ayb in the Lower Galilee, a sacred Druze religious site near Tiberias in Israel. The visit followed an invitation from Sheikh Muwafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel.
According to local sources, four buses carrying Druze religious figures departed from Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights in south-western Syria and entered Syria’s Quneitra province before heading to Israel. Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that approximately 60 Druze clerics made the journey on Friday morning.
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The Druze, a small but influential minority, are spread across Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. While the Israeli Druze have integrated into the state, the Syrian Druze maintain ties with Damascus.
Coinciding with the visit, Israeli military forces reportedly carried out a brief incursion into southern Quneitra, setting up a checkpoint near the village chief’s home and questioning residents about a recent livestock loss.
A local source told +963 that the Israeli force consisted of around 20 soldiers, supported by armored vehicles and others equipped with machine guns.
