Israel’s Airstrikes and Sectarian Fire: Suweida at a Dangerous Crossroads
Written by: Maxamed Cawil Jaamac
In the rugged hills of southern Syria, a new wave of violence has turned the ancient Druze city of Suweida into a symbol of sectarian tension, political mistrust, and foreign intervention. This week, Israel bombed Syrian government forces as they entered Suweida, after two days of deadly clashes between local Druze militias and Bedouin tribes.
By Tuesday, reports suggested that about 100 people had been killed since Sunday, including 60 Druze, several Bedouin fighters, and security forces.
🔥 How did it start?
It all began last Friday when a Druze merchant was reportedly kidnapped and robbed on the highway to Damascus. The event ignited deep-seated resentment. On Sunday, Druze fighters surrounded and seized the al-Maqwas neighborhood, mainly inhabited by Bedouin families.
The fighting spread quickly beyond the city, as Bedouin tribes attacked Druze towns and villages in the province.
🕊 A fragile truce, then more bloodshed
On Sunday night, Bedouin and Druze elders brokered a temporary truce, releasing hostages on both sides. But by Monday, the violence returned. Drone strikes reportedly hit villages near Suweida, while Syrian government troops deployed nearby, adding a new layer of tension.
Soon, there were reports of mortar fire, dozens more killed and wounded, and hospitals struggling to cope.
🇮🇱 Israel steps in
By Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said they had ordered strikes against Syrian forces and weapons sent toward Suweida. They accused the Syrian government of planning to use them against the Druze.
Netanyahu justified the strikes by saying Israel had a “covenant of blood” with Druze citizens in Israel and historic ties with the Druze of Syria and the occupied Golan Heights.
This marks the first time Syrian government troops have entered Suweida since Islamist-led rebels overthrew President Bashar al-Assad last December.
⚖️ A province caught in the middle
For years, Suweida province — home to the Druze minority — remained largely outside the direct control of the Syrian state. Locals were wary of joining national security forces, and they kept local militias to protect themselves.
The new interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, from the Sunni Islamist movement Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has promised to protect minorities. But many Druze remain skeptical of those promises.
✋ Division among Druze themselves
On Tuesday morning, Druze religious leaders announced they had agreed to let government forces enter Suweida to stop the bloodshed. They urged armed groups to cooperate and hand over their weapons.
Yet only hours later, influential Druze cleric Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri released a video urging Druze fighters to “resist this brutal campaign by all available means,” accusing government forces of shelling Suweida city despite a ceasefire agreement.
🗺 Israel’s warning
Netanyahu warned earlier this year that he would not tolerate any threats to Syria’s Druze and demanded the complete demilitarisation of Suweida and other southern provinces.
On Tuesday, Israeli leaders accused the Syrian regime of violating demilitarisation policies and creating new risks for Israel by deploying forces so close to the Golan Heights.
📝 Conclusion: One city between hope and war
Suweida, long a pocket of local rule and fragile peace, now finds itself trapped between sectarian strife, a suspicious government, and outside military powers. Its people — especially the Druze community — fear losing what little autonomy they had.
Beyond the casualty numbers, Suweida’s story is about an ancient community trying to survive amid chaos, shifting alliances, and bombs raining down from outside.
Written by: Maxamed Cawil Jaamac
(Writer on conflict, Middle East history, and human stories often forgotten in headlines)
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