Syrian Leader Vows to Protect Druze Amid Sectarian Violence and Israeli Airstrikes

Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has pledged to prioritise the safety of the country’s Druze community following deadly sectarian clashes in Suweida province that prompted Israeli airstrikes on Damascus. In his first televised address since the strikes on Wednesday, Sharaa also issued a defiant warning, stating that Syrians “are not afraid of war.”

The violence, which erupted on Sunday between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes in Suweida, has claimed over 350 lives, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). The clashes mark a significant escalation in the predominantly Druze region, where government forces were deployed for the first time since Sharaa’s Sunni Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led the rebel offensive that ousted President Bashar al-Assad in December, ending Syria’s 13-year civil war.

Syrian state media reported that the military is withdrawing from Suweida under a ceasefire agreement with Druze leaders, though doubts remain about its durability. Local residents and activists have accused government forces of killing Druze civilians and carrying out extrajudicial executions, further inflaming tensions. ### Israeli Response and Regional Tensions Israel, citing threats to Druze communities in southern Syria, launched airstrikes on Wednesday targeting the Syrian military’s headquarters in Damascus, a site near the presidential palace, armoured vehicles heading to Suweida, and weapons storage facilities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes aimed to “save our Druze brothers and eliminate the gangs of the regime.” The Israeli military’s chief of staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, warned that Israel would not allow southern Syria to become a “terror stronghold” and vowed to maintain order near the Golan Heights border, where hundreds of Druze crossed the frontier on Wednesday. The Druze, an offshoot of Shia Islam with distinct beliefs, have communities in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and the occupied Golan Heights. Syrian Druze have been wary of Sharaa due to his jihadist past with HTS, a former al-Qaeda affiliate still listed as a terrorist organisation by the UN. ### Sharaa’s Address and Promises In his speech, Sharaa described the Druze as “a fundamental part of the fabric of this nation” and rejected attempts to draw them into conflict with “external parties.” He claimed government forces had restored stability in Suweida by expelling “outlawed factions” despite Israeli intervention, which he said caused a “large-scale escalation.” Sharaa announced that security responsibilities in Suweida would be handed to religious elders and local factions, promising accountability for those who “abused our Druze people.” ### Casualties and International Response

The SOHR reports that theyou can use the web or X posts to verify the casualty figures or gain further context if needed.