Syrian forces have begun pulling out of a contested border zone following Israeli airstrikes and pressure from the United States. But tensions remain high as Druze demonstrators trying to cross the border illegally to help relatives escape the Syrian regime, clash with Israeli troops trying to protect them.
According to the Times of Israel, “Hundreds of people are gathering for a second day at a border fence separating Israel and Syria near the Druze Israeli city of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights in hopes of reuniting with family on the other side of the frontier.”
Syria’s interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, announced the withdrawal from Sweida on Wednesday, describing it as an effort to ease tensions and avoid further international backlash.
“I especially address our Druze brethren, who are an integral part of this nation’s fabric,” Sharaa said, “Syria will never be a place for division, fragmentation, or strife… We reject any attempt — foreign or domestic — to sow division within our ranks.”
But Druze communities in Israel don’t trust Damascus and they’re taking their message to the streets.
Raed Mansur, an Israeli Druze resident protesting outside the U.S. Embassy, said, “We are here in front of the American Embassy in Jerusalem…saying that it’s not a business, it’s not a deal. You cannot make a deal with a person that is a killer… that what he knows is only to kill people.”
Yesterday, more than a thousand Israeli Druze breached the border fence and crossed into Syria to support their Syrian brethren. At the same time, Israeli airstrikes targeted high-value regime locations in Damascus, including the Ministry of Defense and the Presidential Palace, a signal to the Sharaa regime that continued violence in Sweida will not be tolerated.
The Trump administration reinforced that message Wednesday.
Tammy Bruce, State Department spokesperson, said, “We are calling on the Syrian government to, in fact, withdraw their military in order to enable all sides to de-escalate and find a path forward.”
Meanwhile, in Jerusalem, political pressure is mounting and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government is again under strain. The ultra-Orthodox Shas party has ordered its ministers to resign from their government posts, though they remain part the ruling coalition. The move weakens the prime minister’s control as far-right allies grow more dominant.
And in Washington, President Trump hosted the Emir of Qatar at Mar-a-Lago. Earlier in the day, he made a cryptic statement, “We have good news on Gaza.”
It’s unclear whether that comment refers to hostage negotiations, a ceasefire, or another development, but sources confirm discussions are ongoing.
