Israeli Intervention in Syria… What are the Goals and the Message?

Asharq Al-Awsat

17-07-2025

In a dramatic escalation along the Israeli-Syrian frontier, hundreds of Druze from Israel and the occupied Golan Heights attempted to cross the border into Syria this week, declaring their intention to 'stand with' fellow Druze in the southern city of Sweida as it faces attacks from armed factions. The move prompted an immediate and forceful reaction from Israel, culminating in fresh airstrikes inside Syrian territory and an unprecedented political standoff.
Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz issued a direct warning to Damascus, accusing the Syrian regime of endangering Druze communities and vowing continued military action unless regime forces withdraw from Sweida.
The unfolding events, widely regarded as the most serious since Ahmad Al-Sharaa assumed the Syrian presidency in January 2025, have raised growing questions about whether Israel's actions are motivated purely by its stated aim of 'protecting the Druze minority,' or if broader geopolitical objectives are at play.
For its part, the Druze national leadership within Israel issued stern warnings about the risks of escalation, calling for restraint and a return to the spirit of the May 2025 agreement that sought to regulate relations in a peaceful, nationalistic manner.
On Tuesday, a group of Druze from within Israel attempted to storm the border and enter Syria. Some were turned back by Israeli forces, but others succeeded in crossing.
The following day, two additional groups attempted the same action, including one consisting of residents from the occupied Golan Heights. In response, Israel deployed two full Border Guard battalions to the area and forcibly returned individuals who had managed to slip through.
In response to the developments, Druze political and spiritual leaders in Israel, led by Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, held an emergency meeting and issued harsh criticism of the Israeli government, accusing it of 'failing to assist our brethren in Syria' and betraying the longstanding 'blood pact' between Israel and the Druze community.
The leadership declared its intent to send large groups of Druze youth, many of whom are current or former Israeli soldiers, into Syria 'to fight alongside their kin.'
In a bold political move, Druze leaders also declared a general strike throughout Druze communities in Israel and called on members of the community to rally in the Golan Heights. Sheikh Tarif announced that he had sent official letters to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz, demanding they pressure the Syrian regime to withdraw from Sweida, describing the current situation as 'a battle for the very survival of the Druze people.'
Conversely, Arab nationalist movements within the Syrian Druze community have sounded the alarm against external interference, particularly by Israel.
The Druze Initiative Committee stated that Israel's true objective is not the protection of the Druze, most of whom it noted have no ties with Israel and instead remain committed to the May 2025 agreement with Al-Sharaa's government, which explicitly rejected Israeli involvement.
The committee accused Israel of pursuing political goals related to ongoing negotiations in Baku over a new security accord. It alleged that Israel is trying to coerce Syria into joining the Abraham Accords under Israeli terms and is seeking to legitimize its continued occupation of Syrian territory, particularly Mount Hermon (Jabal al-Sheikh), and maintain its presence at nine military outposts established deep inside Syria following the fall of Bashar Al-Assad's regime.
The committee also claimed that Israel is working with armed Syrian factions to ignite conflict in Sweida as a means of furthering its strategy.
In a statement, the Progressive Movement for Dialogue called the reports from Sweida 'disturbing and conflicting,' warning that Syrian national unity is not served by isolating Sweida or by spilling Druze blood.
'We have the right and the duty to ask: what has suddenly triggered this eruption of violence, after months of calm under the May 2025 agreement?' the movement asked.
Writer and political figure Said Naffaa, head of the movement, praised the overwhelming majority of Druze leadership in Syria for rejecting foreign interference and division.
'We commend their firm stance against any form of foreign intervention and their commitment to dialogue and preserving civil peace,' he said.
Israeli Message
On Wednesday, the Israeli military confirmed that its air force had targeted the entrance to the Syrian military's General Staff headquarters in Damascus, citing ongoing threats to Druze civilians in southern Syria.
A spokesperson for the Israeli army said the strike was launched under direct political orders and that the military is 'monitoring developments closely and remains prepared for a range of scenarios.'
For his part, Katz said: 'If Syrian forces do not withdraw from Sweida, Israel will continue its strikes on regime positions and escalate its responses further. Our message is clear.'
He added: 'The Syrian regime must stay away from Druze areas in Sweida. As we've made clear: Israel will not abandon the Druze. The Israeli army will continue its operations until regime forces are removed, and it is ready to raise the stakes if the message is not understood.'