Netanyahu and Katz warn Syria’s Islamist regime: ‘We will not allow any threat to the Druze community.’

\The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted an airstrike early Friday morning near the presidential palace of President Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa in Damascus. The IDF confirmed the operation, stating that fighter jets targeted the area adjacent to the palace, without specifying the exact objective.

The strike follows days of violent clashes between Syrian government forces and members of the Druze minority in southern Syria, particularly in the suburbs of Damascus, including Sahnaya and Jaramana. These confrontations reportedly began after a fake voice recording, attributed to a Druze religious leader and insulting the Prophet Muhammad, circulated widely—triggering mob violence and retaliation against the community.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement emphasizing Israel’s red line regarding threats to the Druze community:

“This is a clear message to the Syrian regime. We will not allow forces to be sent south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community.”

Katz later elaborated:

“When Sharaa wakes up in the morning and sees the results of the Israeli airstrike, he will understand well that Israel is determined to prevent harm to the Druze in Syria.”

He continued:

“It is his [Sharaa’s] duty to protect the Druze in the suburbs of Damascus from jihadist assailants and to allow the hundreds of thousands of Druze in Suwayda and Jabal al-Druze [Druze Mountains] to defend themselves on their own, rather than sending jihadist forces into their communities.”

In a strongly worded conclusion, Katz said:

“It is Israel’s duty to protect the Druze in Syria from harm, for the sake of our Druze brothers in Israel, their loyalty to the state, and their immense contribution to the security of Israel.”

The Syrian presidency condemned the Israeli strike as a “dangerous escalation,” calling it a flagrant violation of Syrian sovereignty and an attempt to ignite regional instability.

The Druze population in Syria, estimated at over half a million, resides primarily in southern regions and Damascus suburbs. With growing fears of persecution under the new Islamist regime led by President al-Sharaa—formerly aligned with al-Qaeda affiliates and a past leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham—Druze leaders have issued urgent calls for protection.

Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, a leading Druze religious authority, condemned recent attacks as genocidal and called upon the international community to intervene and prevent ethnic cleansing.

Israel’s involvement, which reportedly included humanitarian evacuation of injured Druze individuals for treatment, underscores its strategic imperative to prevent the consolidation of jihadist factions near its northern frontier.

The situation remains tense, with observers warning of potential follow-up strikes and retaliatory action. For Israel, the message was explicit: it will not sit idle while its historic allies and border communities are threatened by extremist factions operating under the banner of Syria’s shifting leadership.