Clashes between Syria and Israel: chaos at the border, bombings on Damascus

Over a thousand Israeli Druze cross the border to support the community of Sweida. The IDF responds with raids against the Syrian regime

The border between Israel and Syria descended into chaos on Wednesday 16 July, as the death toll in the Druze region of Sweida, in southern Syria, exceeded 240. About a thousand Israeli Druze citizens breached the border fence near Majdal Shams to enter Syria and bring support to their community of origin, which has been the target of violent clashes for days. At the same time, dozens of Syrian Druze tried to cross the border in the opposite direction, towards Israel.

The Israeli army responded to the infiltration attempt by firing tear gas at the Syrians arriving from the city of Hader. Meanwhile, the IDF said it had returned the Israeli Druze who had illegally entered Syrian territory, calling the crossings a “serious incident that endangers civilians and military forces”.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a direct appeal to Israel’s Druze community, urging them not to cross the fence: ‘You are risking your lives and harming military operations. We are working to protect our Druze brothers in Syria. Go home and let the IDF do its job.’

Meanwhile, the Israeli army has announced the reinforcement of its forces at the border: new border police companies, Golani Brigade soldiers and reconnaissance drones have been deployed. The IDF says it is ready to mobilise two entire divisions in the Golan Heights and has already struck more than 160 targets in Syria since Monday, mainly in the Sweida area.

Israeli raids have also targeted Damascus, bombing weapons depots, tanks, rocket launchers and military convoys heading towards Druze areas. The explosions also hit infrastructure near the Syrian Ministry of Defence. According to Israel, the operations aim to stop the attack on Druze civilians and force the withdrawal of Syrian government forces from Sweida.

Tensions erupted after the Damascus army intervened in Sweida, under the pretext of implementing an agreed ceasefire. According to some reports, however, the Syrian military acted in conjunction with Bedouin militias, unleashing indiscriminate violence against the Druze population. The number of victims continues to rise, fuelling cross-border mobilisation of the Druze diaspora and the Israeli military response.

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(Photo: © AndKronos)