How will Syria's government deal with the ‘Druze dilemma'?
Syria's new government is facing a serious challenge.
This time, it is not from foreign powers or from remnants of the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad, but instead, from within the country's own borders.
Tensions have flared in the south, where fighting between members of the Druze minority and Bedouin groups has reignited fears of wider sectarian unrest.
The violence comes as Druze spiritual leaders refuse to recognise the authority of President Ahmed Sharaa – the man now leading the post-Assad transition government.
And in a move that could further inflame tensions, Israel has warned Damascus not to harm the Druze.
Are the concerns of the community justified?
And what does all this mean for the unity of Syria?
Presenter: James Bays
Guests:
Louay Safi – Syrian political scientist and former professor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University
Shadi Abou Karam – Political activist and researcher originally from Suwayda Province in Syria
Sami Akil – Political analyst and acadamic specialising in Syrian affairs
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Al Jazeera
an hour ago
- Al Jazeera
Israel hits Syrian army HQ, near Damascus palace as Suwayda fighting rages
Israel has struck the headquarters of the Syrian Ministry of Defence and close to the presidential palace in the capital Damascus, dramatically escalating on another military front in the region, and following through on its threats to intervene over clashes between government troops and Druze fighters in the southern Syrian city of Suwayda. Syria's Interior Ministry announced a ceasefire agreement for Suwayda later on Wednesday. Druze religious leader Sheikh Yousef Jarbou confirmed a truce would take effect immediately. Jarbou said the agreement was 'to completely halt all military operations in Suwayda by all parties' and 'to fully integrate Suwayda into the Syrian state.' Footage showed four explosions from Israeli strikes battering the sides of the Syrian military headquarters in Damascus earlier on Wednesday, leading to large plumes of smoke rising in the sky, before another air strike hit close to the presidential palace. Israel claims it has been carrying out the strikes in Syria to protect Syria's Druze minority, which Israel views as a potential ally and which has been involved in clashes with Syrian government troops in Suwayda, a Druze stronghold. The community there has not welcomed Israeli intervention in the past. Syrian state news agency SANA reported that one person was killed, and 28 others were wounded in the strikes, citing the Ministry of Health. Reporting from Damascus, Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr witnessed the attack on the headquarters of the Syrian military, which followed Israeli drone strikes on the complex hours earlier. 'We watched those strikes come in, one after another, in the heart of the Syrian capital,' she said, adding that the sight of Israeli war planes overhead 'caused panic'. 'This is a significant escalation,' she said. 'This is the Israeli leadership giving a very, very direct message to Syria's new authorities that they will intensify such strikes … if the government does not withdraw its troops from southern Syria.' Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement posted on X that the 'warnings in Damascus have ended – now painful blows will come'. As Israel's military announced it was beefing up its forces along the Syrian border, and had carried out strikes on Syrian military convoys moving south, he added that Israel's military would 'continue to operate forcefully in Suwayda to destroy the forces that attacked the Druze until their complete withdrawal'. Initial ceasefire collapsed quickly The strikes followed the resumption of fierce fighting in Suwayda, a major centre for the Druze community, after a ceasefire announced by the Syrian government on Tuesday swiftly collapsed. Syria's Defence Ministry officials blamed groups 'outside the law' for breaking the ceasefire and attacking government troops, who they said were responding to fire while taking measures to protect civilians. The ministry told Al Jazeera it had opened safe corridors in the city for civilians to flee. Speaking from Damascus, Al Jazeera's Bin Javaid said at least 70 people were believed to have been killed in the fighting so far. Medical sources in the city say more than 200 people have been injured in the violence. Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor based in the United Kingdom, says more than 250 people had been killed as of Wednesday morning, including four children, five women and 138 soldiers and security forces. The observatory added that at least 21 people were killed in 'field executions'. One woman, 20-year-old Evelyn Azzam, told the Associated Press news agency from her home in Jaramana, near Damascus, that she feared her husband had been killed by security forces in Suwayda. She had been speaking to her husband, Robert Kiwan, on the phone when he was questioned by security forces about whether he was affiliated with Druze militias, when her husband was shot in the hip, she said. She had had no update on his condition since he was taken to hospital. Chaos at the border The bloodshed has led to chaotic scenes along the border separating the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria. Large numbers of Israeli Druze gathered there, with some crossing into Syria to support Druze groups there, while hundreds gathered on the other side of the fence, calling on Israel and the international community to intervene and stop the violence. The Israeli military said it had identified dozens of individuals trying to cross from Syria, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed directly to Israel's Druze community not to cross the border. 'You can be kidnapped, and you hurt the [Israeli army's] efforts,' said Netanyahu. 'So I ask you – go back to your homes, let the [army] act.' Israeli air attacks continue On top of the clashes on the ground, Israel has pounded targets in Syria. Israeli warplanes have struck nearly 160 targets in Syria since Tuesday night, most of them in Suwayda, the Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported. Al Jazeera's Khodr said Israel's demands for Syrian troops to withdraw and create a demilitarised area in the south presented Syria's leadership with a dilemma. 'If it continues its advance in Suwayda and maintains a presence in the province, then it will trigger more strikes like this and endanger its hold on power,' she said. 'But if it decides to withdraw from Suwayda and give in to Israel's demands, then the government has failed in its efforts to extend its authority across the country.' Syria has condemned Israel's intervention as a violation of international law, as have several Arab nations. Israel has also been attacking other areas of Syria regularly since longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad was deposed in December, claiming it is targeting weapons sites. The Israeli government has dismissed the fledgling Syrian government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa as 'extremists'. The United States has revoked its designation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – the group that formed the new government – as a 'foreign terrorist organization' (FTO) as Washington softens its approach to post-war Syria. The decision earlier this month is part of US President Donald Trump's broader strategy to re-engage with Syria and support its reconstruction after more than a decade of conflict. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says his country is 'very concerned' about the Israeli attacks on Damascus, and 'We're going to be working on that issue as we speak.' Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett, reporting from Washington, DC, says his comments suggest the US was caught off guard by the Israeli bombardment, especially given the moves the administration has made to bring Syria back into the international fold. Footage of abuses prompting violence The outbreak of violence in the southern city on Sunday was triggered by a wave of recent kidnappings and attacks between local Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze armed groups, including the abduction of a Druze merchant on Friday, witnesses told the Reuters news agency. Syria's Druze population numbers about 700,000, with Suwayda home to the sect's largest community. Bedouin and Druze factions have a longstanding feud in Suwayda, with violence occasionally erupting. Al Jazeera's Bin Javaid said tensions in the latest outbreak of violence had been inflamed by material about killings and abuses being posted on social media. 'That created a flurry of reaction … from both sides,' he said. Since the overthrow of al-Assad, concerns have been raised over the rights and safety of minorities under the new authorities, who have also struggled to re-establish security more broadly. Samy Akil, a political analyst and academic specialising in Syrian affairs, told Al Jazeera that the Syrian government's failure to deliver on an inclusive political model played a large role in the unrest. 'It has not been able to … back the talk basically with tangible evidence on the ground, particularly when it comes to an inclusive … governing system that incorporates a clear power-sharing structure where all segments of Syrian society are represented,' Akil said. Clashes between government troops and Druze fighters in April and May killed dozens, with local leaders and religious figures signing agreements to contain the escalation and better integrate Druze fighters into the new government. The Druze developed their own militias during the nearly 14-year ruinous civil war. Since al-Assad's fall, Druze factions have been at odds over whether to integrate with the new government and armed forces. Rob Geist Pinfold, lecturer in international security at King's College London, told Al Jazeera that Israel had been working closely with an influential Druze sheikh, Hikmat al-Hijri, who has been a key player in the escalation of the situation in Suwayda following the initial abduction on Friday. 'It was his forces that took government buildings … within Suwayda and it was then that Israel chose to act to defend him from Syrian security services,' said Pinfold. Israel's response to the situation showed it had not taken the opportunity for a reset with Syria's new government and to work towards a stabilisation of relations, he added. Instead, by launching attacks, Pinfold said, Israel had opted to continue with the status quo: 'Its pursuit of military hegemony and extended occupation of Syrian territory'.
Al Jazeera
3 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Who are the Druze and why is Israel bombing Syria to ‘protect' them?
Who are the Druze and why is Israel bombing Syria to 'protect' them? NewsFeed Israel has bombed Syria, saying it is acting to 'protect' Syria's Druze minority after fighting broke out between Syrian government forces and Druze fighters. But who are the Druze and what do they have to do with Israel? Osama Bin Javaid explains from Damascus. Video Duration 01 minutes 18 seconds 01:18 Video Duration 03 minutes 11 seconds 03:11 Video Duration 00 minutes 32 seconds 00:32 Video Duration 01 minutes 06 seconds 01:06 Video Duration 01 minutes 36 seconds 01:36 Video Duration 00 minutes 58 seconds 00:58 Video Duration 01 minutes 05 seconds 01:05
Al Jazeera
4 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
World reacts to Israeli attacks on Syria's Damascus
Israel has launched several air strikes in the heart of the Syrian capital, Damascus, as clashes continued in the southwestern city of Suwayda after a truce between government forces and Druze armed groups collapsed. Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces struck near the entrance to the Syrian Ministry of Defence on Wednesday, hours after he had demanded Syrian government forces withdraw from Suwayda. Another strike hit near the presidential palace, on the outskirts of the city. At least one person was killed and 18 others were wounded in the attacks, Syrian state media reported, citing the Ministry of Health. The attacks on Syria's capital come amid continuing unrest in the city of Suwayda, where local Sunni Bedouin tribes have been engaged in fierce clashes in recent days with fighters from Syria's Druze minority, whom Israel views as a potential ally in Syria and claims to be intervening to protect. Damascus deployed its forces to the city on Tuesday and declared a ceasefire, but the fighting quickly resumed. Here is how the world is reacting to Israel's attacks on Damascus: United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US was 'very concerned' about the escalation in violence. 'We're going to be working on that issue … I just got off the phone with the relevant parties. We're very concerned about it, and hopefully, we'll have some updates later today. But we're very concerned about it,' Rubio said Turkiye Turkiye's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attacks and said they were an attempt to sabotage Syria's efforts to achieve peace, stability and security. 'The Syrian people have a historic opportunity to live in peace and integrate with the world,' the ministry said. 'All stakeholders who support this opportunity should contribute to the Syrian government's efforts to restore peace.' Omer Celik, spokesperson for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's governing AK Party, also condemned the attacks. 'Israel's attacks pose a security threat to the entire region and the world,' Celik wrote on X. GCC The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – condemned the attacks in the 'strongest terms'. In a statement, GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said the Israeli attacks were a 'flagrant violation' of Syria's sovereignty, 'a breach of international laws and norms, and a serious threat to regional security and stability'. Albudaiwi reiterated the GCC's support for Syria's territorial integrity, adding that the continuation of Israeli attacks constituted an 'irresponsible escalation' and disregarded international efforts to achieve stability in Syria and the region. Norway The Norwegian foreign minister said that Israel's recent strikes could undermine efforts towards a peaceful transition of power in Syria. 'Deeply concerned about recent Israeli airstrikes and rising domestic tensions. The escalation risks undermining efforts towards a peaceful, Syrian-owned transition,' Espen Barth Eide wrote on X. He said he was 'alarmed' by the 'escalating violence' in Syria and urged all actors to exercise 'maximum restraint'.
