Israel on Saturday rejected Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s renewed promise to protect minorities following a wave of deadly sectarian violence, warning that Syria remains a dangerous place for non-Sunnis.
More than 700 people have been killed in Syria’s Sweida province since Sunday, as Druze communities came under attack in escalating clashes involving Sunni Bedouins, Islamist-led government forces, and armed tribal factions. Israel was drawn in after reports of atrocities against Druze civilians.
“Bottom line: In al-Sharaa’s Syria, it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority—Kurd, Druze, Alawite or Christian,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar posted on X. “This has been proven time and again over the past six months.”
Saar said the international community has a “duty to ensure the security and rights of the minorities in Syria” and should make any future diplomatic recognition of Syria conditional on the protection of those groups.
On Saturday, Syrian interior ministry forces began moving into the Druze heartland under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. Earlier in the week, Israel had carried out airstrikes on regime forces in Sweida and Damascus in response to reports of summary executions and other abuses targeting Druze civilians.
Israel, which has a sizeable Druze population of its own, said it acted to protect the minority from government violence.
