Israel Strikes Syrian Regime Forces as Druze Massacres Unfold in Sweida

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – Israel launched an extensive wave of airstrikes this week against Syrian regime forces in and around Sweida, a southern Syrian city with a large Druze population, after reports surfaced of mass killings and executions of Druze civilians by regime-linked militias.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had carried out over 160 aerial attacks targeting Syrian forces, including key sites such as Syria’s Defense Ministry and the Presidential Palace in Damascus. The military campaign comes amid reports that the Syrian regime has deployed more than 1,000 troops and 200 militiamen to crush Druze resistance in Sweida, using a mix of brutal tactics and plausible deniability.

“The Syrian regime must leave the Druze in Sweida alone and withdraw its forces,” declared Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, vowing to escalate military responses if the campaign of atrocities continues. “Israel will not abandon the Druze in Syria and will enforce the demilitarization policy we have decided upon.”

According to the IDF, the airstrikes have destroyed tanks, rocket launchers, armored vehicles, and heavy machine-gun pickups en route to the besieged region. Access routes into Sweida have also been bombed to prevent reinforcements. Despite these efforts, regime forces have reversed the Druze’s territorial control–from 70% of the city on Tuesday to just 30% by Wednesday.

Druze Executions, Civilian Casualties Mount

Independent war monitors, including the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), report that at least 248 people have been killed since the clashes erupted over the weekend. This includes 92 Druze–21 of whom were summarily executed–as well as 138 regime soldiers and 18 Bedouin fighters.

What began as tribal skirmishes between Druze and Bedouin factions rapidly devolved into a state-led onslaught. Footage shared online shows bloodstained religious meeting halls, desecrated portraits of Druze clerics, and shattered furniture–a grim testament to the reports of executions inside sacred spaces.

Analysts believe the Assad regime exploited the local conflict to attempt a permanent assertion of control over the autonomous Druze region. “They’re using this chaos as cover to crush any remaining opposition,” said Syrian political analyst Fadi Rahbi. “It’s a deadly combination of militia violence and state-sponsored brutality.”

Regional Fallout and Israeli Border Tensions

While Israel has refrained from sending ground troops into Syria, it has reinforced its northern border with three new units from the Border Police and Golani Brigade, anticipating potential cross-border movement by Israel’s own Druze citizens. On Wednesday, dozens of Druze crossed into Syria from the Golan Heights in an attempt to aid their kin but were quickly returned by IDF soldiers.

Meanwhile, the IDF confirmed that several Israeli civilians crossed into Syria from Majdal Shams, prompting operations to safely retrieve them. Simultaneously, Israeli forces repelled attempted infiltrations from southern Syria into Israeli territory near the Hader area.

Spiritual and community leaders among the Druze declared a general strike and “days of rage,” condemning the massacres. Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the spiritual head of Israel’s Druze community, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz, urging continued military pressure on Damascus.

Damascus Condemns Israel, but Intelligence Points to Complicity

The Syrian regime has denounced Israel’s strikes as “treacherous aggression” and vowed to defend its sovereignty by all means permitted under international law. Yet Israeli intelligence suggests that the use of militia forces for atrocities–rather than official troops–was a deliberate strategy by the Assad regime to deflect international scrutiny.

“The mixing of militias with formal army units was planned,” an IDF source said, adding that while Israel does not accuse Syria of starting the tribal conflict, it clearly seized the opportunity to conduct a violent crackdown.

The Syrian foreign ministry insisted that the regime’s goal was merely to restore order. However, this justification has been widely rejected by observers as a thin veil for state terror. Some of the militias reportedly involved have ties to Islamist groups that massacred over 1,000 Alawites on Syria’s coast last year.

International Reactions and Uncertain Future

The United States has responded cautiously. Special Envoy Tom Barrack called for “de-escalation and inclusive governance,” while emphasizing the need to protect minority communities. Yet with trust in Syria’s transitional government collapsing, especially among minorities, many believe the window for diplomacy is closing.

In Jerusalem, Prime Minister Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s policy to keep Syria’s southwestern region demilitarized. “We will not allow a second Lebanon to be established there. We have an obligation to safeguard the Druze.”

With the death toll rising and Druze neighborhoods turned to ruins, the question remains: will Israeli airstrikes force a Syrian withdrawal–or simply mark another tragic chapter in a war that has never truly ended?

Prophetic Significance

While many prophecy teachers carefully watch the events surrounding Damascus, awaiting its prophetic fulfillment in Isaiah 17—when the city will become a “ruinous heap”—the current violence and instability suggest that the cultural and geopolitical groundwork for such a fulfillment may be developing. However, while some believe this prophecy is actively unfolding, others point to Isaiah 17:2, which references cities like Aroer—located in modern-day Jordan—that are to be deserted in conjunction with Damascus’s downfall. These areas are not presently involved in the conflict, suggesting the prophecy is not yet fully in motion. So we continue to watch with discernment, wait with expectation, and pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

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