Israel Deploys Forces in Southern Syria, Vows to Shield Druze Communities from ‘Hostile Forces’

By Ahora Qadi

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Israeli army announced Saturday it has deployed forces in southern Syria to “prevent the entry of hostile forces” into Druze-populated areas, intensifying its military presence near the Golan Heights amid mounting cross-border tensions and deadly violence in southern Syria.

In a brief statement, the Israeli military confirmed its readiness to counter any threat approaching Druze villages in the region, though it refrained from disclosing the number of troops involved or whether the deployment was recent.

“The Israeli army is deployed in southern Syria and stands prepared to prevent the entry of hostile forces into Druze areas,” the statement read, adding that it “continues to monitor developments and remains on alert for any scenario.”

Druze Official Denies Israeli Presence in Suwayda

A senior Druze official in Syria’s Suwayda province — the heartland of the Druze minority — denied that Israeli forces had entered the area, asserting that Tel Aviv’s military activity appears to be confined to Quneitra province, adjacent to the occupied Golan Heights.

“The presence of Israeli troops seems limited to Quneitra, where the army established positions after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December,” the official said, distancing Suwayda from any direct Israeli deployment.

Israeli Air Raids Rock Syria After Clashes Kill Over 100

The military announcement follows a barrage of Israeli airstrikes that pounded military targets across Syria from Friday night into Saturday, including an earlier strike near the presidential palace in Damascus. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Israeli warplanes conducted more than 20 raids targeting Syrian military positions.

These strikes came on the heels of violent clashes between armed Druze groups and regime-aligned forces in the Damascus countryside and southern provinces, which reportedly left over 100 people dead within two days.

In a humanitarian gesture, the Israeli army confirmed it had evacuated five injured Druze civilians from Syrian territory overnight for treatment at Ziv Medical Center in Safed. Israeli military data indicates that 15 wounded Druze civilians from Syria have been admitted to hospitals in Israel since the beginning of the week.

UN Condemns Israeli Strikes, Urges Respect for Syrian Sovereignty

UN Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen issued a sharp condemnation of Israel’s actions, calling for attacks to “cease at once” and denouncing what he described as continued violations of Syrian sovereignty.

@GeirOPedersen I call for these attacks to cease at once and for Israel to stop endangering Syrian civilians and to respect international law and Syria’s sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, and independence.

— UN Special Envoy for Syria (@UNEnvoySyria) May 3, 2025

“I strongly condemn Israel’s escalating and persistent violations of Syria’s sovereignty, including repeated airstrikes on Damascus and other cities,” Pedersen posted on X, urging Tel Aviv to refrain from endangering Syrian civilians.

.@GeirOPedersen I strongly condemn Israel’s continued and escalating violations of Syria’s sovereignty, including multiple airstrikes in Damascus and other cities.

— UN Special Envoy for Syria (@UNEnvoySyria) May 3, 2025

Israel Signals Red Lines on Druze Protection

Earlier this year, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz warned that Israel would intervene militarily in Syria if the Druze population were threatened by Damascus. His March 1 statement underscored Israel’s declared red line concerning the safety of the Druze minority.

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December, Israel — which remains deeply wary of the newly installed authorities in Damascus — has launched hundreds of airstrikes across Syria. Israeli officials justify the campaign as necessary to prevent arms shipments to what they describe as the “jihadist” new government in Damascus.