JERUSALEM, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Friday in a statement that it is ready to block "hostile forces" from entering Druze villages in southern Syria, following deadly clashes south of Damascus between Druze fighters and pro-government forces.
"The IDF is deployed in southern Syria and is prepared to prevent the entry of hostile forces into the area of Druze villages," said the statement. "The IDF continues to monitor developments with readiness for defense and various scenarios."
According to the statement, five wounded Druze Syrians were evacuated on Friday to Ziv Medical Center in Safed in northern Israel for medical treatment.
Violence erupted earlier this week in Jaramana in the southeastern suburbs of Damascus, which has large Druze and Christian communities, after the circulation of an audio recording, which was attributed to a member of the Druze community and contained remarks considered offensive to Islam.
The unrest, initially centered in Jaramana, has since spread to neighboring areas southwest of Damascus, including predominantly Druze towns Sahnaya and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, where clashes between local Druze fighters and pro-government forces have intensified.
The clashes have claimed over 100 lives, according to war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
On Thursday evening, thousands of Israeli Druze protesters took to the streets in northern Israel, demanding that the Israeli military intervene and protect the Druze in Syria. Before dawn on Friday, hundreds of Israeli Druze protesters demonstrated in front of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's private residence in Israel's northern coastal town of Caesarea.
Later on Friday, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed in a joint statement that Israel attacked overnight near the presidential palace in Syria's capital, Damascus.
The statement called the strike "a clear message to the Syrian regime," saying Israel "will not allow the move of forces south of Damascus and any danger to the Druze community."
Netanyahu also spoke with Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, spiritual leader of Israel's Druze community, on Friday, asking the country's Druze community to respect Israeli law and not to act in any way against civilians or security forces.
Druze people primarily live in Lebanon, Syria and Israel, with smaller groups in Jordan. Israel has been working to solidify ties with the Druze community since expanding its territorial control near the border with Syria and in the Golan Heights following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's government in December 2024. ■
