IDF strikes Damascus; Hundreds of Israeli Druze attempt to cross Syrian border; Amid deadly violence in Syria’s Sweida province, where at least 248 Druze have been killed, Israel warns the Syrian regime to withdraw; Defense Minister Katz threatens escalation if forces don’t retreat;

6 comments

1. The ongoing situation in Syria seems to be escalating.

   * There are now reports of around 250 Druze killed. Videos have surfaced of Syrian regime troops calling for the murder of Druze including old people and children.

   * Videos are starting to appear of what looks to be attacks on civilians. I’ve seen for example Syrian regime troops evacuating/hiding/kidnapping a small injured or dead girl. Horrible.

   * Israeli strikes over regime targets and supply lines continue. And while still obviously limited, are seemingly escelating.

   * Israeli Druze communities called a general strike day, a “Rage day”, and demand Israel to intervene. Dozens of them seemed to have cross the border to help the Syrian Druze by themselves.

   Former Israeli PM Bennet on X:

   >At this moment, very difficult reports are coming in about a campaign of murder and rape by al-Julani’s forces against members of the Druze community in Syria.

   >Israel must act immediately, and not just with symbolic actions, to stop this massacre.

   >The action must be taken *now* to save human lives.

   >Our Druze brothers fight shoulder to shoulder alongside us and, sadly, also fall alongside us. Now, the State of Israel must stand by their side in their just and humane struggle.

   A few interesting questions I have:

   Will this new massacre effect the West’s seemingly huge support to the new Syrian regime?

   What should Israel really do here? How far should it intervene?

   I think right now there is a chance that the only thing standing between the Syrian Druze and a huge massacre like [happened to the Alawites](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_massacres_of_Syrian_Alawites), is Israel.

2. I prefer to think that this (and the massacre of Alawites) is the new Syrian government lacking control over the “army”, which includes huge numbers of what used to be called terrorists, rather than sectarian violence directed from the top.

3. The Syrian president is an Al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist. Hopefully Israel can take out the trash here too.

4. Why did Israel bomb the Assad regime for decades, the very Assad regime that was protecting religious minorities in Syria?

5. Jesus effing christ bibi

6. Consolidating Syria after over a decade of civil war would naturally require a balancing act between using violence to bring everyone under the fold, and limiting it to avoid creating too much resistance, essentially resuming the civil war in full.
   This is not made easier by having limited control other government affiliated militias that will antagonize minorities while still needing to be appeased in order for them to back the government.
   And it might be outright impossible with Israel applying pressure at full force on a fragile Syria’s every fault line.

   Question is, **where’s Turkiye?**. Turkiye is Julani’s main supporter and practically the only power left in the Middle East capable of counterbalancing Israel at this point.
   Can it commit to sending a significant military force into Syria? Will Israel be willing to attack Turkish targets in Syria? To what extent is Turkiye coordinating with Israel over Syria?

   I’d also like to know where everyone’s red lines are:
   Would Israel be satisfied with a demilitarized zone south of Damascus? Druze autonomy? Or maybe it is aiming and committed to a full partition of Syria?
   Would Turkiye accept anything short of a full restoration to a sovereign Syria in it’s pre-civil war state? Or maybe Kurdish independence/autonomy is their red line?

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