Druze from Syria enter Israel on the occasion of Nabi Shuaib's holiday, at Majdal Shams, April 25, 2025. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Flash90)
Israel is working to unify disparate Druze factions amid rising tension in the area.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
Israel is supplying weapons and financial support to thousands of Druze fighters in southern Syria, according to senior community leaders and Western intelligence sources cited Tuesday.
The effort, focused in Sweida province, is said to involve rifles, ammunition, and salaries for roughly 3,000 men, as Israel works to unify disparate Druze factions amid rising tension in the area.
The development comes as Washington intensifies pressure on both Damascus and Jerusalem to deliver progress ahead of the UN General Assembly later this month.
“The Americans are pushing hard — this is personal for Trump,” an Israeli security official told Reuters, describing U.S. efforts to link the negotiations to the broader Abraham Accords framework.
Druze leaders argue their community faces growing threats, including executions of civilians by regime forces, and have called for a humanitarian corridor to the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.
Such demands strike at the authority of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has pledged to reassert control over all Syrian territory.
Last month, Druze factions launched the “National Guard,” a new umbrella force endorsed by spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, demonstrating their determination for greater autonomy.
Indirect talks between Israel and Syria began in April in Abu Dhabi and later moved to Baku and Paris.
Damascus reluctantly acknowledged the discussions in public after U.S. mediation produced a ceasefire in Sweida.
Yet the negotiations remain fragile, with Israel insisting it will not withdraw from gains made after the collapse of the 1974 disengagement line.
Six sources confirmed that the Golan Heights has not been placed on the table, following President Trump’s recognition of the plateau as Israeli territory.
Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shibani dismissed Druze demands, calling them a “violation of sovereignty.”
Standing alongside Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi and U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack in Damascus, he said, “Sweida belongs to all its residents. We are working to restore normal life there.”
Meanwhile, Israel has reinforced its presence on Mount Hermon, with Defense Minister Israel Katz vowing the new outpost will remain.
Analysts say Israel’s assertive military posture is narrowing al-Sharaa’s options even as U.S. officials seek a breakthrough to announce in New York.
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