ALBAWABA- Dozens of armed Israeli Druze citizens crossed the border into Syria through the Majdal Shams area in the occupied Golan Heights, according to Israeli media reports.
The Israeli military confirmed it is working to return those who crossed, amid rising tensions in southern Syria. Israeli Channel 13 and Israel Hayom reported that the individuals were armed when they entered Syrian territory, raising concerns over cross-border escalation.
Shortly after the incident, Israeli forces launched air strikes targeting Syrian government troops and military vehicles in the Sweida region.
The strikes came in the wake of a ceasefire announcement by Syria’s defense minister, following the deployment of government forces in Sweida city earlier that day. Syrian state news agency SANA confirmed continued deployment of internal security units to the town to enforce the truce and protect civilians.
While many Druze religious leaders in Syria supported the government’s intervention, at least one senior cleric called for armed resistance and demanded international protection.
Notably, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said the military strikes were intended to “prevent the Syrian regime from harming the Druze” and to ensure the demilitarization of the border region.
The Israeli military said it began targeting regime vehicles and positions near Sweida immediately after the ceasefire was announced. A day earlier, Israel had struck several tanks in southern Syria, warning that it would not allow threats against the Druze community.
Analysts and critics argue, however, that Israel may be using its stated concern for the Druze as a pretext to advance broader military objectives and territorial control, particularly during Syria’s ongoing political transition.
They warn that such actions, bolstered by U.S. support and Western silence, risk further destabilizing the region, as seen in Israel’s repeated strikes across Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, Iraq, and the Palestinian territories.
