IDF, Border Police disperse Israeli-Druze crowds along Syrian border, returns them to Israel
The IDF and Border Police dispersed violent gatherings consisting of dozens of Israeli Druze civilians across the border with Syria, the military said on Saturday.
After the gathering, the civilians crossed the border fence into Syrian territory in the Majdal Shams area, where they acted violently towards security forces, the IDF noted.
Israeli media earlier reported that a group of Israeli-Druze civilians had crossed the border from Israel into Syria between Friday night and Saturday morning.
IDF soldiers were deployed on the border together with the Border Police in order to prevent and suppress the violent gathering. Many of the Israeli Druze civilians who arrived at the border were drunk, according to Walla, and a few dozen managed to cross the forces into Syrian territory while using violence and pushing IDF soldiers.
All those who crossed the border were returned to Israeli territory by the IDF, according to Walla, citing military sources.
The illegal crossings came around the announcement by US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack that Israel and Syria have agreed to a ceasefire supported by Turkey, Jordan, and regional partners.
Earlier clashes and humanitarian aid transfers
Before Barrack's announcement, it was reported that clashes in Syria between Bedouins and Druze resumed on Friday evening, when about 200 Bedouins entered the city of Sweida with rockets and machine guns and continued the fighting.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar ordered the urgent transfer of aid to Sweida's Druze population as the country's security forces prepare to redeploy to the Druze-majority Sweida city to quell fighting by the Druze and Bedouin tribes.
Additionally, a source told The Jerusalem Post that afternoon that "Israel has agreed to allow a limited entry of internal security forces into Sweida for the next 48 hours."
The day before, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that a ceasefire in Syria was achieved through 'forceful actions.
'We have established a clear policy: the demilitarization of the area south of Damascus and the protection of our brothers, the Druze,' he added.
Amir Bohbot, Maariv Online, and Reuters contributed to this report.
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