Netanyahu says his call with Ahmed al-Sharaa stopped Druze massacre after Israel struck Syria's defence ministry

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed on Thursday that he held a direct phone call with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in 2025, the first publicly known contact between the leaders.

Speaking during a visit to the Druze village of Yarka in northern Israel on Thursday, Netanyahu said the conversation took place in July 2025 and was aimed at halting a wave of deadly violence in the Syrian city of Sweida.

“I called Sharaa. It was a very brief and to-the-point conversation, and the massacre stopped,” Netanyahu said. The violence in Sweida involved fighting between local Druze and Bedouin groups, with Syrian government forces reportedly backing the Bedouins.

The conflict resulted in over 1,700 deaths, according to the UN. A UN report had noted that Druze civilians were especially targeted, but acknowledged that there were violence from both sides. However, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the deaths north of 2,000, including 789 Druze civilians.

Netanyahu explained that his call to the Syrian president was preceded by a significant Israeli military strike. “We took out the Ministry of Defence in Damascus; we took out a target inside the palace compound,” Netanyahu said, adding that he is committed to protecting the region's Druze community.

“There is still work to be done; I can’t reveal everything. But this commitment comes from the bottom of my heart,” he said.

The revelation of this direct contact is significant for two countries that have fought several wars and lack formal diplomatic relations.