Israel is reportedly arming and funding Druze militias in Syria after the religious minority suffered a series of sectarian attacks, some of which saw the country’s security forces commit massacres.
According to Reuters, Jerusalem is paying the salaries of Druze fighters and sending arms shipments in an attempt to unite the community’s splintered factions.
Two Druze commanders, speaking on condition of anonymity, as well as a “Western intelligence source” told the outlet that Israel was bankrolling a significant number of the estimated 3,000 Druze militia members in Syria.
And the IDF continues to carry out patrols in southern Syria after Jerusalem provided air support for the Druze during the recent spate of intra-ethnic violence.
Clashes between Bedouin and Druze militias in July led to hundreds of deaths and were greeted with a heavy-handed response from internal security forces.
Paramilitaries associated with the al-Sharaa government, many of which are affiliated with the interim president's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) movement (itself a splinter group of Al Qaeda in Syria), are accused of carrying out executions of Druze prisoners and massacring civilians in Sweida.
Al-Sharaa himself acknowledged in a speech following a ceasefire that his security forces had committed “violations”.
The violence against the Druze quickly drew Israel into the fray, given its long-standing support for the community, whose counterpart in Israel is held in high regard.
The IDF launched strikes in Sweida and the capital Damascus, with one missile landing close to the presidential palace.
The Reuters report comes amid stuttering negotiations between Israel and Syria for a security agreement, laying the groundwork for a full peace deal.
Washington, which has recognised the al-Sharaa government and lifted its sanctions on Syria following the fall of the Assad regime, is reportedly pushing for progress in time for next week’s UN General Assembly meeting.
Measures on the table are understood to include the withdrawal of IDF troops from southern Syria, a cessation of Israeli airstrikes and the reinstatement of a demilitarised zone originally agreed in 1974.
The issue of the Golan Heights, which Israel seized during 1967’s Six-Day War, will be left “to the future,” according to Reuters.
However, the Netanyahu government has publicly expressed scepticism around al-Sharaa’s administration, particularly due to his previous terrorist affiliations.
And there is said to be a “trust deficit” in negotiations, which is hindering the agreement of the initial security cooperation.
To get more Israel news, click here to sign up for our free Israel Briefing newsletter.