Israel carries out airstrikes on Syrian regime forces for 2nd time in 2 days, vows to protect Druze in Syria

Hours after the Syrian regime imposed a siege and entered the city of Suwayda (Sweida), where clashes with the Druze have been taking place for the last two days, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) carried out a second round of strikes on regime units in the area. 

Shortly after the IAF airstrikes were first reported, the Israeli government confirmed it had carried out strikes against Syrian regime forces, stating that “Israel is committed to preventing harm” to the Druze in Syria.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have directed the IDF to immediately attack the regime forces and the weaponry that entered the Sweida area of the Druze Mountain in Syria, and that the regime intended to use against the Druze – which was done in contravention of the demilitarization policy they [had] decided on, of preventing the entry of forces and weaponry that endangers Israel in the southern region of Syria,” the statement said. 

The Islamist regime of Syria has entered the southern city of Sweida and is currently attacking the Druze and Christian population.

Sweida is the only place in Syria where Christians and Druze can live free of Sharia law. They are now facing genocide at the hands of these… pic.twitter.com/dWF1ES4rDp

— Dr. Maalouf (@realMaalouf) July 15, 2025

“Israel is committed to preventing harm being inflicted on the Druze in Syria, owing to the deep covenant of blood with our Druze citizens in Israel and their historical and familial link to the Druze in Syria. We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them, and to ensure the demilitarization of the region adjacent to our border with Syria.” 

"This is a particularly broad wave of attacks against regime forces in the Druze Mountains," a military source told Israeli media outlets.

"The State of Israel sees this as a test for implementing its policy of demilitarizing southern Syria and its commitment to the Druze."

According to a report on Al-Jazeera, the commander of the Syrian government's internal security forces in Suwayda, Ahmad al-Dalati, had called on Druze leaders in the city to support measures to bring Druze areas under the control and administration of the government of interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa. 

ראש הממשלה נתניהו ואני הנחינו את צה"ל לתקוף מיידית כוחות משטר ונשק שהוכנס לתוך מרחב סווידא בהר הדרוזים בסוריה לשם פעילות המשטר נגד הדרוזים - תוך הפרת מדיניות הפירוז.

ישראל מחויבת למנוע פגיעה בדרוזים בסוריה בשל ברית האחים העמוקה עם אזרחינו הדרוזים בישראל, והקשר המשפחתי וההיסטורי…

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) July 15, 2025

He also called on "the commanders of the lawless factions and groups not to oppose the entry of the forces into the province and to hand over their weapons.” 

One of the prominent Druze leaders, Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri, issued a personal statement, calling for the end of "the genocide taking place on the Druze mountain,” while accusing the regime forces of violating previous agreements and “indiscriminately attacking the civilian population.” 

The Israeli strikes come after Druze leaders in Syria requested assistance from Israel as the regime forces began attacking the city of Sweida. 

At the same time, the Association of Druze Discharged Soldiers and Reservists in Israel sent a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning, asking him to “stop the bloodshed.” 

“This is the second appeal on an extremely serious issue, and we are writing it with a aching heart and a growing sense of urgency," the Druze soldiers wrote to Netanyahu.

“Members of the Druze community in Syria continue to be the target of brutal attacks by extremist terrorist organizations. This is an unrelenting series of massacres, kidnappings, looting and harming innocent civilians – women, children and the elderly alike.” 

“We ask you, in the name of the Jewish-Druze partnership and in the name of the moral values of the State of Israel, to take responsibility and stop the bloodshed,” the association members pleaded.

“Order immediate military or humanitarian aid to members of the community, consider opening a corridor of aid, equipment and protection for members of the communities under attack, and exert pressure in the international arena through dialogue in order to raise the issue to the global agenda and stop the bleeding."

The soldiers reminded the prime minister of the history of Druze soldiers fighting and dying for Israel in the IDF. 

“The Druze people fought shoulder to shoulder with IDF soldiers, fell and were wounded in Israel's wars, and built a house of true partnership here. Now that our brothers across the border are crying out for help, this is not the time for silence: 'We are brothers by blood and covenant, within the borders of Israel and beyond them,’" the letter concluded.