Israel launched a series of airstrikes on the outskirts of Damascus on April 30, targeting what it described as “operatives” responsible for attacks on Druze civilians. The strikes marked a sharp escalation in an already volatile situation, as sectarian clashes intensified between Syria’s new Islamist-led government and Druze militias. The violence has led to growing concern about the future of minority communities in Syria and has drawn in regional powers such as Israel, which have longstanding ties with the Druze.
The latest cycle of violence began reportedly with a controversial audio clip, allegedly featuring a Druze cleric insulting the Prophet. Though the cleric denied the accusation and Syrian government later cleared him of involvement, the clip sparked outrage among Sunni Muslims and triggered two days of deadly violence in the Druze-majority areas of Jaramana and Ashrafieh Sahnaya. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 39 people have been killed in the clashes, including 22 on April 30 alone.
Clashes broke out between Druze militias and forces aligned with the ministries of defence and interior, as well as other pro-government proxies. Syrian officials described the armed Druze groups as “outlaws” and accused them of attacking security checkpoints and vehicles. In a press conference, the area’s governor, Amr al-Sheikh, confirmed that 14 people were killed on April 28 and 11 more government personnel died in renewed fighting two days later. While he did not explicitly name the Druze militias, his repeated insistence that “weapons should be in the state’s hands” suggested a veiled rebuke of their actions.
The Druze, who make up roughly 3 per cent of Syria’s pre-war population of 23 million, are concentrated in the southern province of Sweida, with smaller communities near Damascus. A highly secretive monotheistic sect rooted in Islam, the Druze do not accept converts and have historically maintained a cautious distance from Syria’s broader Sunni-Shia power struggles. During the civil war that began in 2011, the Druze largely avoided conscription and focused on protecting their enclaves rather than aligning with either president Bashar al-Assad’s forces or the opposition.
Since Assad’s ouster in December following a 13-year civil war, the situation has changed dramatically. Syria’s new transitional president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, heads a Sunni Islamist government whose roots lie in rebel factions once affiliated with Al Qaeda. While al-Sharaa has pledged to protect Syria’s ethnic and religious minorities, a wave of recent sectarian violence—including the killing of hundreds of Alawite civilians in the coastal regions—has led many minorities to fear for their safety.
Israel has been making use of the Druze issue to get itself further entrenched in Syrian affairs. There are around 1.5 lakh Druze in Israel and the Golan Heights, and most of them have links with the Druze in Syria, giving the Netanyahu government an opportunity to pursue an active role. The Druze in Israel are largely integrated into society, with most holding citizenship and serving in the military. By contrast, the roughly 23,000 Druze in the Golan largely reject Israeli citizenship and continue to identify as Syrian.
The airstrikes on April 30 followed an earlier warning from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz. In a joint statement, they said Israel had conveyed “a serious message” to the Syrian government, making clear that it was expected “to act to prevent harm to the Druze”. Israel's military chief, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, further signalled that Israel was prepared to strike Syrian government targets directly if attacks on Druze civilians continued. He said the airstrikes were aimed at operatives who had been involved in the recent violence near Damascus, particularly in Ashrafieh Sahnaya and Jaramana.
Syria’s foreign ministry condemned the foreign intervention, though it did not directly name Israel. Meanwhile, UN special envoy Geir Pedersen expressed “deep concern” about the violence and warned of the potential for escalation in an already fragile situation.
In southern Syria, where the Druze stronghold of Sweida lies, militia leaders expressed deep scepticism about the government’s intentions. A local Druze commander said foreign and extremist fighters nominally affiliated with the Syrian government were behind the attacks. He also suggested the controversial audio clip may have been fabricated to provoke violence and settle old scores from the civil war. His remarks echoed widespread fears among minority communities that Syria’s new leaders are not sincere in their promises of protection and reconciliation.
In the face of growing instability, efforts have begun to integrate the country’s many armed groups into a unified national army. It is, however, not an easy task because of the deep divisions caused by years of sectarian conflict and also because of the vested interest of the new ruling elite.
Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes in Syria after Assad’s ouster, but most of them were aimed at stopping arms proliferation among groups hostile to Tel Aviv and to preempt the establishment of military bases near its borders. However, the latest escalation hints at a more active policy of protecting the Syrian Druze and to have a major say in the emerging security calculus in Syria.
While the Syrian Druze have largely rebuffed Israeli overtures, Netanyahu insists that his country has a moral responsibility to defend the community. “Israel will not allow harm to the Druze community in Syria, out of a deep commitment to our Druze brothers in Israel, who are connected by family and historical ties to their Druze brothers in Syria,” said the prime minister.