Syrian gov’t fears Israeli-backed Druze offensive in southern Syria in the near future – report

The Syrian government, led by the former wanted terrorist and self-declared President Ahmad al-Sharaa, believes that Druze troops will soon launch an offensive against its military with the backing of Israel, The Jerusalem Post reported Monday.

Since the massacre of thousands of Druze in the southern province of Suweida last year, in which Syrian government troops took part, the region has been in a state of limbo and remains separated by siege-like frontlines from the rest of the country.

Now, a senior Syrian official told the Post that the Damascus government fears that Druze militias will launch an offensive against its troops with the encouragement and support of the Israeli government.

According to the official, indications that led the Syrian government to fear an imminent offensive include preparations and a buildup among militias along the front lines, as well as increased Israeli military activity.

This, he claimed, includes an Israeli helicopter recently landing in Suweida and delivering significant quantities of weapons and ammunition. He also said that Druze leaders recently publicly stated their intention to retake Druze villages soon.

On the Israeli side, the official said that Israeli aerial reconnaissance over southern Syria, as well as the capital Damascus, had intensified recently. The aerial activity could potentially be connected to unconfirmed reports that the Israeli Air Force has recently conducted drills simulating strikes against Iran in Iraqi airspace, for which the planes must cross Syrian territory.

Damascus believes any Druze offensive would have Israeli backing and encouragement, the official said.

Israel continues to maintain a security zone on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights frontier, and has reportedly sent humanitarian as well as military aid to Druze militias, particularly those controlled by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently revealed that he spoke with Syrian President al-Sharaa on the phone in the summer of 2025 before ordering the IDF to conduct airstrikes in Damascus to stop the slaughter of Druze in southern Syria.

On the first anniversary of the massacre, Hijri declared that the Druze community was “an integral part of the State of Israel,” praising its model of state-building and saying their communities shared “common denominators.”

The Post also cited a source close to the Syrian regime who said that Netanyahu’s decision to reveal the conversation with Sharaa was intended to undermine his control over Syria: “Israel wants a weak Sharaa so that it can do whatever it wants in Syria,” the source said.

On Thursday, a Syrian government official source affirmed to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that Damascus insists on Suweida province remaining “an integral and inseparable part of the national fabric of the Syrian Arab Republic.”

The official also said Damascus “categorically rejects politicizing the Druze community or dragging it into Israeli propaganda and elections.”

He further argued that Israel had armed an “outlawed militia” to foment chaos in the Druze province and drag the country into a wider war.

Conversely, the spiritual leader of Israel’s Druze community, Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, praised Netanyahu actions last summer, noting he had urgently appealed to the prime minister while the international community failed to act.

“This decision will be recorded in the history of the Druze community,” he said.

Tarif also lauded Israel’s civilian and medical assistance to the Druze in Syria, as well as actions by the IDF to protect Druze villages in southern Lebanon.

“The partnership between the Druze community and the Jewish people and the State of Israel transcends borders and political camps,” Tarif declared. “It is a firm and stable alliance.”