The Israeli army attacked the gate of the Syrian military headquarters in Damascus on Wednesday. Israel is intervening in a conflict between the Syrian government army and Druze in the southern city of Suwayda with the attack. Fighting broke out there on Sunday.
Israel says it wants to protect the Druze and has previously carried out airstrikes on Syrian government forces in Suwayda. Druze are an ethnic minority in the border area of Syria, Israel and Lebanon and are seen by the Sunni government as apostate Muslims.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that the attacks would continue if Syria does not leave the Druze alone. “We continue to monitor developments and actions against Druze in southern Syria,” the army said after the attack on the headquarters in Damascus. Nothing is known about any damage and injuries.
Druze have historically had a strong bond with Israel, which is why the country sees the population group as an ally. Druze often live in areas that are militarily important to Israel (such as the Golan Heights) and have shown solidarity with the country since the establishment of Israel.
On Sunday, a deadly conflict arose in Suwayda between Druze and Sunni Bedouins, nomads who live in desert areas in Syria. Syria then sent the government army to the city where mainly Druze live. But instead of calming the conflict, the government troops clashed with the Druze militias.
A ceasefire was announced on Tuesday, but the violence has now flared up again. News agency Reuters reports that the Syrian army is plundering, setting fire to houses and stealing cars and furniture. Druze civilians are also said to have been executed. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 248 people have now died.
Why are Druze and Bedouins fighting?
There have been tensions between Druze and Bedouins for some time. Including about access to water and other resources in the region.
Since the fall of the regime of President Bashar al Assad in December, the militias of both groups have had free rein. There was no government army to keep an eye on things. Since then, tensions have risen again.