July 24, 2025
Recent conflict in Syria’s Druze-majority areas has drawn international attention, highlighting the complex challenges faced by this minority amid shifting regional dynamics and Israel’s efforts to protect its Druze brethren.
Here’s what to know about the Druze and Israel’s efforts to defend them.
Who are the Druze?
The Druze faith was established in Egypt as an offshoot of Shi’a Islam during the 11th Century AD. The Druze are a distinctive ethnoreligious community with deep historical roots in the Middle East, known for their unique faith and strong communal ties. With significant populations in Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, the Druze have played significant roles in regional politics and society.
Why Are the Druze Important in Israel?
Israel’s Druze population numbers around 140,000 and is one of the country’s most engaged non-Jewish minorities. They live in northern Israel—in places like Daliyat al-Karmel and Isfiya—and in the Golan Heights. Druze citizens have full rights and participate actively in society. At the same time, those in the Golan Heights, which Israel gained control of from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed in 1981, often maintain Syrian identity; however, there has been a trend since the Syrian Civil War began in 2011 of many becoming Israeli citizens. Unique among Arab minorities, Druze men serve compulsory military service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), fostering indispensable connections to the identity of modern Israel. This has enabled Druze Israelis to rise to influential positions in society, the military, and politics. Since October 7, 2023, 13 Druze soldiers and officers have died protecting Israel. Overall, there are more than 440 Druze security personnel who have been killed in defense of Israel since 1948. They balance their Arab heritage with a strong Israeli identity, while religious leaders maintain autonomy over cultural and educational affairs.
Why Are the Druze Being Attacked in Syria?
Syria is a predominantly Sunni Muslim Arab country, but also home to significant minorities including Alawites, Christians, Kurds, and Druze. Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad hailed from the Alawite minority group and was the central figure in proliferating sectarian conflict across Syria during the 2011 Civil War.
The Syrian Civil War was the latest chapter in helping to foster hate among various tribal and religious groups across the country, with various populations struggling to protect themselves amid ongoing violence from the Assad regime, rebel factions, the Islamic State, and foreign powers, including Turkey, Russia, and the Iranian regime. As a result, these groups often turned to various actors for protection, forming shifting alliances as threats and power dynamics evolved throughout the nearly 15-year conflict. During the war, it was common for various militias and tribes to shift alliances and develop conflicting territorial and political conflicts..
The U.S. played a small but significant role in Syria, allying with Kurdish forces to fight the Islamic State during the civil war. At the same time, Israel has mainly focused on thwarting Iran’s actions in the country.
With support from Turkey, Ahmed al-Sharaa—the leader of the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Syria’s northern Idlib province—overthrew the Assad regime in late 2024. Formerly known by his nom de guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, in homage to his claimed familial ties to the Golan Heights, and once a member of al-Qaeda, al-Sharaa established a new government promising to end Syria’s prolonged civil war and rebuild the country. Despite his jihadist past, he pledged to protect Syria’s diverse minority communities and bring a new era of peace to the fractured nation.
However, after 15 years of sectarian conflict, ruling Syria through one authority is a monumental task, and al-Sharaa's ability to control the government is significantly limited - at a time when many in the country are looking to settle old scores.
Sharaa’s lack of power has manifested itself through several horrific massacres. In March 2025, following a coordinated attack by pro-Assad loyalists, armed groups associated with—but not directly controlled by—the new government launched retaliatory offensives in Alawite areas along the Mediterranean coast, prompting allegations of massacres and deepening fears among minority communities; in response, President al-Sharaa condemned the violence and established a fact-finding committee to investigate and ensure accountability.
In July 2025, Syrian forces entered the Druze-majority city of Sweida after violent clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes, some of whom have ties to the Islamic State. While claiming to enforce a ceasefire, government troops reportedly joined Bedouin fighters in attacks marked by executions, looting, and arson, killing over 1,100 people, including 427 Druze fighters and 298 Druze civilians so far. Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri condemned this as a “total war of annihilation,” accusing the government of breaking the ceasefire and calling for Druze resistance. In response, Israel launched airstrikes on Syrian military targets in Damascus and Sweida to protect the Druze community; Israel also provided humanitarian aid. A fragile ceasefire was reached on July 19.
What Is Israel’s Role in Syria and Why Is It Defending the Druze?
Israel’s presence in Syria traditionally focused on preventing Iranian and Iranian-backed militias from establishing a foothold near its northern border in the Golan Heights, as well as stopping the transfer of weapons to the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon.
Since Assad’s fall, Israel has established nine bases on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, creating a buffer zone to prevent threats to Israeli territory. It frequently targets former Assad regime military sites and depots to prevent weapons proliferation. Israel also remains skeptical of the new government due to its past ties with radical Islam. It has worked to prevent advanced weapons such as tanks, fighter jets, helicopters, and rockets belonging to the Assad regime from being used by the new regime. The Sweida escalation underscores Israel’s commitment to protecting vulnerable groups like the Druze, who have a strong connection to Israel.
On July 16, 2025, some 1,000 Israeli Druze crossed into Syria’s Sweida Province to support their embattled community, while dozens of Syrian Druze attempted to enter Israel—triggering border clashes and the use of tear gas by Israeli forces. Prime Minister Netanyahu called on Israeli Druze to return home, warning that their presence endangered lives and hindered IDF efforts. In the days that followed, the IDF launched over 160 airstrikes on Syrian regime and militia targets in Sweida and Damascus, while on July 20, Israel delivered urgent medical aid to Sweida after the city’s hospital was destroyed; with more shipments planned, Israel has also reinforced border security and committed nearly $600,000 in additional humanitarian aid for the Druze community.
