Syria is dangerous for minorities under Sharaa, Israel says

JERUSALEM,— Israel on Saturday dismissed a statement from Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known by the name Abu Mohammed al-Golani, pledging to protect ethnic and religious minorities, following a week of intense sectarian violence in the southern province of Sweida.

More than 700 people have died in Sweida since Sunday, according to regional reports, as fierce clashes erupted between Druze groups and Sunni Bedouin tribes.

The fighting escalated when Islamist-aligned government forces intervened, drawing in armed factions from across Syria and prompting military responses from Israel.

“This is a very dangerous time for minorities in Syria — whether Druze, Kurd, Alawite, or Christian,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar posted Saturday on X. “This has been proven repeatedly over the last six months.”

Saar added that the international community must take action to protect Syria’s minority populations and link any normalization of Syria’s diplomatic status to guarantees of minority rights and safety.

Security units from the Syrian interior ministry were deployed Saturday in Druze-dominated areas under a U.S.-mediated ceasefire aimed at preventing further Israeli involvement.

The ceasefire follows Israeli airstrikes earlier this week on military positions in both Sweida and Damascus.

Israeli officials said the strikes targeted defense forces allegedly responsible for abuses, including summary executions, during a brief operation in the south.

Israel, which has a substantial Druze population, says its military actions aim to protect that community.

However, some diplomats suggest Israel’s moves are also part of a strategy to weaken Syria’s armed forces.

Syria’s military influence has declined since Sunni Islamist factions led by Sharaa ousted Bashar al-Assad, a longtime ally of Iran, in December.

(With files from AFP)