Rising Tensions Over Druze Militias in Syria’s Sweida Province

A security source speaking to Walla reported that Israel believes operatives linked to the Syrian regime are preparing renewed attacks on the Druze community in Sweida province, southern Syria. In response, the Israeli Air Force has stepped up flights over the area and issued a warning to Damascus that Jerusalem will not tolerate assaults on its Druze allies. The source said Israel is monitoring developments “around the clock” and will maintain its policy of supporting Druze groups against any attempts at massacres, abductions, or attacks by Syrian-aligned Bedouin factions or regime forces.

The Jerusalem Post

The Druze in Sweida have long organized under a self-styled “National Guard,” which the Syrian regime accuses of receiving Israeli weapons, ammunition, money, and intelligence to target Bedouin tribes and Syrian military positions. Syrian media outlets allege that some of this equipment is being airdropped into the province. The regime frames its actions as efforts to assert sovereignty over all Syrian territory, while Druze members of the National Guard reject integration into the Syrian military, a stance the regime views as a threat to national integrity. Bedouin groups, rooted in historic land disputes with the Druze, have at times acted independently and at other times in coordination with Syrian security agencies, attempting attacks on Druze communities and sabotage of water and electricity infrastructure.

The Jerusalem Post

Israel’s stance, as conveyed by the unnamed security source, emphasizes a commitment to protect Druze allies and warns Damascus against any aggression. Conversely, Syrian officials have communicated to Jerusalem that their operations aim solely at establishing sovereignty, not targeting civilians, and have portrayed Israeli support for Druze militias as interference in Syrian internal affairs.

The Jerusalem Post

The heightened Israeli aerial presence and the reciprocal Syrian assertions raise the risk of broader spillover into the already volatile Syrian civil war landscape. Continued support for Druze militias could deepen sectarian divisions, while Syrian use of Bedouin groups may further entrench local grievances. Observers note that sustained clashes, such as those documented on July 16, 2025, when Syrian security forces and Druze fighters again confronted each other in Sweida, could draw neighboring actors into a more expansive confrontation if diplomatic channels fail to de-escalate.

The Jerusalem Post