The Fighting of New Government Syrian Soldiers With Druze Of Syria and Israel

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                

UNITED NATIONS High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk holds a news confer-

ence in Damascus, in January. The UN would have condemned Moses and Aaron as war 

criminals, says the writer.

(photo credit: YAMAM AL SHAAR/REUTERS)  ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF  JULY 18, 2025 

13:14.  

In his statement, Turk condemned the mass displacement and acts of violence in Sweida, including reports of killings, kidnappings, destruction of private property, and looting of homes.  

Turk addressed the mass executions that have occurred over the past week, including one incident when a Druze man was publicly humiliated when Syrian forces shaved his mustache, an important cultural symbol for the Druze, before killing him. 

                                

Syrian security forces walk together along a street, after clashes between Syrian government troops and local Druze fighters resumed in the southern Druze city of Sweida early on Wednesday, in Sweida, Syria July 16, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/KARAM AL-MASRI)

A senior Israeli official said in a statement today that Israel

 would allow Syrian forces to enter the Sweida area for a

 period of 48 hours, to deal with the ongoing instability there,

 after over 600 people have been killed in violence between

 between Bedouin tribes and Syrian Druze. (Al Jazeera

 reported this:  about the Bedouins).   

Heavy fighting has flared up again between the Druze and

Bedouin tribes in

 the restive southern Syrian province of Suwayda, as another

 ceasefire has

 collapsed a day after Syrian troops pulled out of the area.

 (Bedouin tribes are in Israel and Syria.)  

This recent escalation, which began in the province of

 Suwayda, involves Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes clashing with

 Druze armed factions. Recent reports suggest that Druze

 militias, particularly those led by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajari,

 have been accused of abuses against Bedouin tribes,

 including detentions and violence. This has fueled

 resentment and a desire for retribution among Bedouin

 communities. 

Bedouin tribes are aligning with the new Syrian government

 against the Druze due to a complex mix of factors including

 historical tensions, recent abuses by Druze militias, and a

 perceived lack of state protection. This situation is further

 complicated by Israel's involvement, which has fueled local

 conflicts and regional instability.

   Israel is defending the Druze of Syria along with the Druze of 

Israel.  

The conflict has reportedly seen

 Bedouin tribes launch counter-attacks and seize control of

 villages and military facilities in the Sweida countryside. Some

 reports also suggest the involvement of Syrian government

 forces, who were initially perceived to be siding with the

 Bedouin tribes against the Druze militias, exacerbating the

 conflict. There were allegations of government-affiliated

 fighters executing Druze civilians, looting homes, and

 committing other abuses. However, the Syrian government

 has denied any deliberate targeting of the Druze minority. 

The resumption of clashes on

 Friday came as the Syrian Ministry (now run by Julani, a

 former Al Qaeda terrorist,  of Interior denied reports

 that government forces are being redeployed to the Druze-

majority governorate.

                                                     

   Syrian leader pledges security for all, slams Israeli strikes on Damascus

Turk was irate at such an attack on the Syrian Druze community.  It's good somebody there reacted against it.  I wonder if anyone had reacted from UN and had commented about the October 7th attack on Jewish communities?  

Yesterday, Israel bombed Syrian government military targets in Damascus. PM Netanyahu said, "As a result of the IDF's actions, a ceasefire came into effect and Syrian forces withdrew back to Damascus. 

This is important and it was achieved through strength, not through requests or through begging. Through strength. We will not allow military forces south of Damascus and will not allow harm to come to the Druze living in Druze Mountain." 

Massive Bedouin militia forces drafted from throughout Syria have reportedly overwhelmed Druze militias, capturing at least 3 Druze villages and driving Druze forces back to Sweida city.

 Israel is hoping that Syrian regime forces can control the situation.

The IDF said that all Israelis (Druze)  who went into Syria on Wednesday were now back in Israel and all Syrian Druze who had crossed into Israel had also returned home.

Following clashes between Druze and Bedouin groups in Sweida province in July 2025, Syrian interim government forces intervened and were accused of committing a number of atrocities against the Druze community. 

• Summary executions and arbitrary killings: Reports suggest that Syrian forces carried out "field executions" targeting Druze civilians. The UN Human Rights Office documented the killing of at least 13 people in one incident where government-affiliated individuals opened fire on a family gathering, and the summary execution of six men in two separate incidents.
• Targeting of civilians: A reporter described witnessing government forces shoot four people at close range, including a woman and teenage boys, with bodies reportedly left in the streets. There were also reports of a family of 12 being killed in their home, including women and children, although responsibility for these killings could not be verified.
• Looting and destruction of homes: Government forces reportedly looted homes, including refrigerators and solar panels, and burned homes and alcohol shops, even after a ceasefire was announced.
• Public humiliation: Instances of government forces humiliating Druze men by forcibly shaving off their moustaches, a culturally significant act, were reported.
• Use of derogatory language: A reporter in Sweida heard government forces yell "pigs" and "infidels" at Druze residents. 

These violations have been condemned by international bodies and sparked widespread concern about the safety and well-being of the Druze minority in Syria. It's important to note that conflicting reports and challenges in verifying information exist, with some sources also documenting abuses and extrajudicial killings committed by Druze militias against government forces and Bedouin communities. 

Resource:

israelAM

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-861475

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0ZhEIVcFlA

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/7/18/live-israel-kills-dozens-more-in-gaza-after-3-slain-in-attack-on-church?update=3844405#:~:text=UN%20says%20credible%20reports%20indicate,reported%20killed%2C%20the%2