Israel has carried out two sets of airstrikes on Syria over the last two days. In the first hours of Saturday morning the IDF said that “a short while ago, the IDF struck a military site, anti-aircraft cannons, and surface-to-air missile infrastructure in Syria.” On Friday, the IDF said “IDF fighter jets struck adjacent to the area of the Palace of Hussein al-Sharaa in Damascus.”
Both rounds of strikes were carried out amid tensions between Damascus and Druze in southern Syria. Israel has said it will support the Druze in Syria in the past. The IDF has said “the IDF will continue to operate as necessary to defend Israeli civilians.”
Israel’s decision to use airstrikes as a policy is not new in Syria. During the Syrian civil war, Israel used airstrikes against Iranian weapons that were being trafficked via Syria to Hezbollah. These strikes also targeted Iranian entrenchment in Syria. This was a use of airstrikes as policy.
Airstrikes became a substitute for other policies. When the Assad regime fell and the Iranian threat ended in Syria, the airstrikes continued. Now they target the new government. This shows that the airstrikes don’t necessarily have a military goal.
Whatever government is in charge in Syria, it is seen as a worthy target, regardless of its policies. The new government in Syria hasn’t threatened Israel. It’s not clear if the strikes will achieve any of the goals that are the stated intention.
Specifically, it’s not clear if they will have a positive impact on the issues Druze face in Syria. To understand this, it’s relevant to understand the current tensions.
The role of Druze in Syria
The tensions grew in late April and the first days in May. The origins of the tensions are complex. The Druze have wanted some level of autonomy in Syria since the new government came to power after the fall of the Assad regime. It’s worth noting that during the era of the Syrian civil war many Druze were ostensibly aligned with the Assad regime and they carved out a degree of autonomy because the regime was weak. Druze served in the security forces and had their own arms that they used to defend Druze areas such as Suwayda.
Since the fall of the Assad regime there have been talks between Damascus and Druze leaders about incorporating the Druze security forces into Syria’s new security forces. These talks have been off-and-on and they have not resulted in a complete agreement that both sides abide by.
Instead, what has happened is that the Druze continue to keep their weapons and many look with concern at threats from extremists in Syria. The extremists are mostly people who were linked to either Hayat Tahrir al-Sham or linked to Ankara-backed Syrian proxies. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is the group that current Syrian president, Ahmed al-Shara’a, led from 2018 to 2024 when it swept to power in Damascus.
The current round of tensions with the Druze began after rumors circulated of a Druze leader insulting Muslims in an audio recording. Druze students were attacked at a university. Then extremists vowed to attack Druze in Damascus and the town of Sahnaya south of Damascus. This led to armed clashes and people were killed. The mayor of the town was assassinated.
The Druze in Syria are divided between different leaders and voices. It’s likely that many want a middle ground and prefer some kind of autonomy but don’t want a full break with Damascus.
There are different Druze leaders. There is the spiritual leader, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, who has said that he is concerned about threats to the Druze in Syria. He has said that there could be an “unjustified genocide” directed at the Druze. He is seen as one of the voices more critical of Damascus.
Sheikh Laith al-Balous, who is younger, is seen as more pro-Damascus. However, all of these leaders have to answer to a much wider population that has its own concerns. Druze in Syria were relatively isolated during the Syrian civil war, enjoying a semblance of peace that some areas of Syria did not enjoy. However, many of the men served in the armed forces. They know the price of war.
Syrian state media has tried to put on an optimistic face. It says that “security forces will strive to consolidate security and stability and secure the city in implementation of the concluded agreement, and will not tolerate anyone who attempts to destabilize the city.” It’s not clear if an agreement with Damascus to integrate the Druze forces will actually happen. Previous agreements were not fulfilled.
Meanwhile, in Damascus, the ageing Druze leader from Lebanon, Walid Jumblatt, came to meet with Shara’a. They had a “friendly and frank” discussion about the developments. Jumblatt’s presence is supposed to balance the pull and push regarding Druze and Israel. This is because Israeli Druze have been protesting for their brothers in Syria. The Lebanese Druze are the other major Druze group in the region. Jumblatt is no fan of Israel. Therefore, bringing him in is designed to make Damascus seem amenable to the Druze in Suwayda.
“Mr. Jumblatt expressed his satisfaction with the Arab and international openness toward the new Syrian State, and considered that this openness contributes to strengthening Syria’s unity and stability and has a positive impact on Lebanon’s stability,” his party in Lebanon said. “Mr. Jumblatt valued the Syrian State’s efforts in communicating and engaging in dialogue with various spectrum of the Syrian people,” the party said.
It remains to be seen if the Israeli escalation in airstrikes will have a desired effect. Syrians are angered by the strikes and countries in the region have condemned Israel.
Many voices see Israel’s strikes as an attempt to divide Syria, weaken it and keep it unstable. These critics see Israel as preying on divisions in Syria, rather than trying to help heal the country.
At the end of the day, airstrikes are not a substitute for diplomacy. Syria’s new leadership has shown moderation in comments about Israel and was likely open to having some kind of peace with Israel. The airstrikes will drive Damascus to seek other options since it can’t accept being bombed every few weeks. Turkey backs Damascus and has asked Washington to intercede. It remains to be seen what comes next. Airstrikes alone will not solve the issues the Druze face in southern Syria. The Druze likely know this and will come to some kind of accommodation.
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