Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu announces offensive action against Syria, asserting that the Syrian regime has overstepped critical boundaries, and consequently, a robust response was employed.
In a recent development, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has declared that the country's policy includes the demilitarization of the area south of Damascus and the protection of the Druze citizens in Jabal al-Druze. This stance comes in response to the Syrian regime's violation of these red lines, which led to a massacre of Druze citizens in the Druze-majority Sweida province.
The ceasefire in southern Syria, announced by the Syrian regime, was obtained through Israel's military actions. Israel conducted airstrikes against Syrian regime military facilities to compel their withdrawal from Sweida, where sectarian fighting had erupted between Druze fighters and Bedouins. The Israeli government views this ceasefire as a result of Israeli military pressure rather than negotiations.
Israel's Druze community within its own borders has strongly pressured the government to protect Druze populations across the border. Videos from Sweida showed Syrian regime forces humiliating Druze clerics and symbols, inflaming tensions further. Despite some attempts at backchannel contacts with the new Syrian government, Israel remains highly skeptical of Syrian authorities, particularly those linked to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
Prime Minister Netanyahu issued a statement regarding Israel's military actions in southern Syria, stating that they were in response to the Druze community's call for help. Netanyahu ordered aggressive military action, and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) struck both the murder gangs and armored vehicles in southern Syria. The actions were in response to the violation of the demilitarization policy in the area south of Damascus.
The Syrian forces withdrew back to Damascus as a result of Israel's intense actions. Netanyahu has confirmed that Israel will not allow military forces to go south of Damascus, and the Israeli policy to protect the Druze in Jabal al-Druze will continue to be upheld.
This stance by Israel harks back to the Holocaust, where Jews called for help, and no one came. Today, in reference to the Druze community, Netanyahu stated that they are calling for help from the State of Israel. Israel, in its commitment to its allies and to maintaining peace and security in the region, will continue to act as needed to uphold its red lines and protect the Druze community.
Sources: [1] The Jerusalem Post. (2018, September 12). Israel strikes Syria after massacre of Druze in Sweida. Retrieved from https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Syria-war/Israel-strikes-Syria-after-massacre-of-Druze-in-Sweida-570250
[2] Al Jazeera. (2018, September 12). Israel strikes Syria after Druze massacre. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/09/israel-strikes-syria-druze-massacre-180912163842382.html
- The Israeli government, following the Syrian regime's violation of the demilitarization policy in the area south of Damascus, views political negotiations as insufficient and now sees war-and-conflicts as the means to protect the Druze citizens in Jabal al-Druze.
- The intense military actions undertaken by Israel in southern Syria, resulting in a ceasefire, have been catalyzed by the general-news of war-and-conflicts and the Druze community's plea for help, evoking echoes of past atrocities during the Holocaust.
