As Suwayda, southwest Syria – Israel has confirmed that its air force carried out strikes on Syrian regime forces near Sweida, a majority-Druze city in southern Syria, amid heavy clashes between government troops and local armed factions.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said they had instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to hit “regime forces and weapons that were brought into the Sweida area” after an attack on Druze communities in Syria.
The Israeli leaders said the strikes aimed to uphold Israel’s policy of demilitarization in southern Syria. “Israel is committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria due to the deep brotherly alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel, and their familial and historical ties to the Druze in Syria,” the statement read. “We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them, and to ensure the demilitarization of the area adjacent to our border with Syria.”
The statement followed earlier reports from Syrian media that the Israeli Air Force had targeted several sites in the Sweida area, striking tanks and equipment reportedly deployed during the government’s new push to reassert control.
Earlier Tuesday, Syrian forces from the Defense and Interior Ministries entered Sweida’s city center, imposing a curfew and urging residents to stay home. The government says the operation is meant to “restore security” after deadly clashes that killed over 30 people, including civilians and soldiers.
Read more: Syria Deploys Security Forces to As Suwayda, Imposes Curfew
Syrian officials have called on local faction leaders and religious figures to cooperate with the army, which they say is pursuing “outlaw groups” in and around the city.
The Druze spiritual leadership welcomed the deployment of government forces, calling on armed groups to surrender their weapons and open dialogue with the state. “We call for dialogue with the Syrian government to address the aftermath of the events and activate state institutions,” said the spiritual leadership of the Druze community.
However, the Druze spiritual leader in Sweida, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri said that “The recent statement was imposed on us from Damascus and under pressure from foreign countries.” Adding that “The government has broken its promises, and random shelling of civilians continues.”
