2,000 Druze reservists pledge to fight if Syrian ceasefire fails

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warns that “those who cannot defend themselves won’t survive in the Middle East.”

By World Israel News Staff

The IDF is closely monitoring an open letter signed by some 2,000 Druze reservists — many of them high-ranking officers — pledging to join the fighting in Syria if the fragile ceasefire between Druze forces and Sunni Muslim militias collapses.

“We are preparing to volunteer to fight alongside our brothers in Sweida. The time has come for us to be ready to defend our brothers, our land, and our religion,” the letter states.

The letter includes the names and military identification numbers of active IDF reservists.

Senior IDF officials also fear that dozens of Druze Israelis who illegally crossed into Syria during recent massacres to defend their communities have yet to return to Israel and are presumed to have already joined the fighting.

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir spoke about the slaughter of Druze in Syria, saying it underscores why the Israeli army must remain vigilant.

“The massacre of the Druze in Sweida proves once again that in the Middle East, those who cannot defend themselves cannot survive,” Zamir told troops during a tour and operational assessment in the Gaza Strip.

“Terrorist organizations and jihadist elements pose a threat in every arena, and they must be confronted—just as you are doing here.”

According to Hebrew-language TV reports, Israel delivered humanitarian aid to embattled Syrian Druze communities in the early hours of Monday morning.

On Saturday, Israel’s Health Ministry announced plans to provide life-saving medical equipment and supplies to a hospital in Sweida that was attacked by Muslim militias.

“Our brotherhood with the Druze community is well known, but beyond that, we are committed to a ‘covenant of life.’ We cannot stand idly by when members of the community—inside or outside Israel—are in danger,” Health Minister Uriel Buso said in a statement.

The Trump administration has called for calm in the country and discouraged Israel from carrying out airstrikes to protect Druze civilians.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that the Syrian government is responsible for holding jihadists “carrying out massacres” accountable, demanding that Damascus “bring to justice anyone guilty of atrocities, including those in their own ranks.”