Syria’s leader is condemned to defend Druz after sectarian violence prompted Israeli strikes

The temporary president of Syria said it was his “priority” to protect the citizens of the country’s friendly friend after Israel promised to destroy government forces accused of attacking members of the religious minority in the province of Suwa.

In his first television statement after Israel’s air strikes in Damascus on Wednesday, Ahmed Al Sharaa also warned that the Syrians were not afraid of war.

Syrian state media reports that the military is withdrawing from Suweida under an agreement to end the fire with Druze leaders. But it is not clear if this will apply.

More than 350 people have been reported to have been killed by the outbreak of sectarian clashes between Druze Militias and Bedouin tribes in the countryside on Sunday.

The government responded, unleashing the predominantly urban city of Suwis for the first time when the Sunni Islamist group of Sharaa was heading the rebellious offensive, which was overthrown by President Bashar al -Assad in December, ending a 13 -year civil war.

However, the fight escalates and government forces were accused by residents and activists of killing civilian friendly and committing out -of -court executions.

Druza’s religion is an offspring of Shiite Islam with its own unique identity and beliefs. In addition to Syria, there are significant communities of Druza in Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and the occupied Golan heights.

The Syrian Druz and other minorities have remained suspicious of Sharaa since he took power because of his past of jihadists. His Islamist band Hayat Tahrir al -Sham (HTS) is a former al -Qaeda branch, which is still defined as a UN terrorist organization.

Their fears are strengthened by several outbreaks of deadly sectarian violence, including one in May between militias of Druz, security forces and allied Islamist fighters, who also prompted Israel, intervene militarily.

In his speech at the beginning of Thursday, Sharaa emphasized that the friend was “a major part of the fabric of this nation” and that he rejected any attempt for them to be dragged into the hands of what he called the “outside party”.

The president said the government forces located in Suwisa were able to restore stability and expel illegal factions, despite Israeli interventions, which he believes cause “a significant complication of the situation” and “large -scale escalation”.

“We are not among those who are afraid of the war. We have spent our lives facing challenges and defending our people, but we put the interests of the Syrians before chaos and destruction,” he said.

Suweida security responsibility will now be passed on to religious elders and some local factions “based on the supreme national interest,” he added.

Sharaa put an end to speech, promising that the government “wishes to be responsible for those who have crossed and abused our people to Druzi.”

On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the country’s own citizens of the country that the Israeli forces “act to save our Druz brothers and to remove the gangs of the regime.”

The Israeli military said his plane had hit the Syrian military headquarters in Damascus and a military place near the Presidential Palace, as well as armored vehicles on the road to Suwis, and shooting on posts and weapons in southern Syria.

“We are decisively acting to prevent the hostile elements from being strengthened beyond the border, to protect the citizens of the State of Israel and to prevent the damage to the Druz civilians,” said during the visit of the Golan presenter.

“We will not allow southern Syria to become a terror of a fortress,” he warned.

The general also said that “there is no place for a disorder near the border fence” after hundreds of Druzi crossed the heavily fortified border with Syria on Wednesday.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was talking to all the countries involved and “agreed on specific steps that would lead to the end of this worrying and horrific situation.”

“This will require all parties to fulfill the commitments they have made and this is what we are completely expecting them to do,” he added, without giving any details.

The Syrian Human Rights Observatory (SOHR), based in the UK monitoring group, says more than 350 people have been killed since Sunday.

These include 79 Druza fighters and 55 civilians, 27 of whom were killed summarized by the ministry’s internal ministerial and defense forces, according to the group.

At least 189 members of the government forces and 18 Bedouin tribal fighters were also killed in clashes, the statement said.

It was not possible to check the data on the victims of the Sor, but the Syrian security sources also said on Wednesday that the death rate was near 300.