The province of Suwayda, located in Southern Syria bordering Jordan, is a hotbed for sectarian violence. The Druze people occupy the majority of the province, and occasionally, violence breaks out due to a long-standing feud between them and the Bedouin tribes. This tension has been a persistent issue, often flaring up over land disputes and political power struggles. It is rooted in centuries of cultural and religious differences, with both groups having distinct identities and traditions.
Druze Struggles
The Druze community is a religious minority whose faith is considered an offshoot of Shia Islam. They reside largely in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel, while a smaller number is found in Jordan. The community is one of the most marginalized in the Middle East. Having dealt with discrimination and oppression during the Assad regime, it remains skeptical of President Ahmed Al-Sharaa and his government. This remains the case even after the new government promises to protect the country’s most vulnerable minorities. On the other hand, the Bedouin people are semi-nomadic tribes indigenous to the Middle East and parts of North Africa.
Following the abduction of a Druze merchant on his way to Damascus on July 11th by members of the rival Bedouin tribe, deadly clashes began between the two on July 13th. Soon after, the encounter escalated into broader sectarian violence, resulting in over 300 deaths. A ceasefire was reached between the two Syrian communities on July 15th, brokered by the Syrian government, but by then, the president had already deployed Syrian armed forces in Suwayda to block Bedouin clans’ advances into the Druze city against Israel’s wishes, complicating the situation further. This gave Israel its opportunity to attack Syria, which turned what began as a local dispute swiftly into an international conflict.
Escalation of Violence
The Syrian capital of Damascus has been a city of high political tensions for a long period, and recently, it has once again reclaimed its spot on international news courtesy of Israel. The Syrian defence ministry building was attacked by the Israeli Defence Forces on Wednesday, July 16th, while other government and military targets were also hit in and around Damascus, the southwestern provinces of Suwayda and Deraa.
With the Ministry of Defence building in shambles, three people dead, and more than 30 injured, the Jewish state claimed that its actions came from a place of sympathy. Israel claims to be an ally to the Druze community, and so long as it is on its watch, no one shall advance on them. Since Israel’s inception in 1948, it has engaged in numerous wars, primarily driven by territorial disputes.
The nation has faced accusations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, human rights violations, and even apartheid. The United Nations, the International Court of Justice, and various human rights organizations have scrutinized these allegations. Despite this international scrutiny, Israel audaciously declares that its airstrikes on Syria were executed to protect the rights of the Druze people.
Israel’s Motives
The Jewish state has a deep interest in the region due to its proximity to the Golan Heights area. The Israeli-occupied Syrian territory of the Golan Heights has been internationally recognized as part of Syria since it first gained independence in 1944. It was first captured by Israel in the Arab-Israel War of 1967. The United States officially recognized it as part of Israel during the first Trump administration, while the international community is still not on board.
Despite claiming not to want conflict, Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has been repeatedly involved in Syria. Since the fall of President Assad’s regime in late 2024, the Israeli prime minister has quickly rushed to seize his moment to control the political scene in the neighbouring state.
Immediately after the change in government, Netanyahu started violating Syria’s sovereignty with relentless air strikes. He then dedicated a budget of over $11 million to increasing the number of illegal settlements in the occupied Golan Heights. The Heights are already home to more than 30 settlements and a population of 20,000 Israelis, illegal under international law.
The state has violated the 1974 disengagement agreement by deploying its military into the United Nations-established buffer zones meant to separate the Israeli and Syrian borders to the Golan Heights. These strikes were part of a broader Israeli military campaign aimed at preventing the new Syrian government from gaining control over the southern region militarily, an area that borders it.
With that in mind, and the fact that these strikes did not come in till after the ceasefire was announced between the two groups, reflects that Israel’s intervention in this conflict is directly related to the political and military status of the Golan Heights and not its commitment to the welfare of the Druze people.
International Response
The Syrian president, the international community, along with regional power Saudi Arabia, have strongly condemned Israel’s actions, with the Iranian foreign minister urging the international community to end Israel’s “unhinged aggression.” The kingdom reaffirmed its support for Damascus to be able to deploy the Syrian military in the south.
The ceasefire agreement that was finally reached between Syria and Israel on July 18th was brokered with the support of the United States, Turkey, and Jordan, reflecting a regional effort to de-escalate tensions. To restore security and stop future conflicts between the Druze and Bedouin populations, the agreement permits a limited redeployment of the Syrian military into Syria’s territory of Suwayda.
However, Israel is not known for holding up its end of the bargain when dealing with states it feels it can dictate to. On the Syrian side, given that certain Druze and Bedouin leaders have rejected the talks and that occasional conflict still occurs in some parts of the region, the ceasefire’s sustainability is still insecure.
The government of Al-Sharaa condemns and demands an end to the violations of its sovereignty, even bringing international support to the table, and, on the contrary, agrees to international agreements that do the exact opposite. The Syrian government’s failure to establish authority over its sovereign territory is made clear by the recent ceasefire between Syria and Israel.
Conclusion
Israel’s airstrikes, claimed to safeguard the Druze community, are a flimsy attempt to defend its continuous militarization and land grabs. Israel’s human rights claims do not fool the international community because its actions are motivated more by its own political goals than by the well-being of the marginalized communities.
Despite its repeated promise to safeguard religious minorities, Ahmed Al-Sharaa’s government appears unprepared to address the root and underlying causes of sectarian violence that persist. Syria can only hope to attain long-term peace and sovereignty by assuming firm control of its land and addressing the concerns of all of its communities.
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Manhal Zaka Khan is a writer currently interning at Paradigm Shift. She is pursuing a bachelor's degree in social sciences at SZABIST Karachi, majoring in international relations. Her writing interests encompass all areas of the social sciences, as she explores and examines the world through a critical and analytical perspective.