What happened in Suwayda? Why is Israel helping the Druzes?

Why Did Clashes Occur in Suwayda?

While the new Syrian government seeks a unified Syrian territory, a small group, Israeli-backed Druzes and its leaders are demanding autonomy. The clashes in the Suwayda region of southern Syria occurred after Bedouin tribes were driven out and killed by Hijri-backed Druze. The Bedouin tribes began resisting the Druze in Sweida, especially in the city center, but their efforts were insufficient. The Syrian army then began entering the Sweida region to maintain order, but the Hijri-backed Druze militia declared that this was an occupation and that they would defend their territory against the Syrian army.

Who is Hikmat al-Hijri?

Hikmat Hijri is a prominent religious leader of the Druze community in Syria and a prominent political figure, particularly in the Sweida Governorate. He was born in Venezuela in 1965 due to his father’s work abroad. He graduated from the Faculty of Law at Damascus University in 1990. He returned to his family’s hometown of Qanawat in Sweida Governorate in 1998. He has a long family history of Druze spiritual leadership dating back to the 19th century. He became the spiritual leader of the Druze community in 2012 after his brother, Sheikh Ahmed al-Hijri, died in a traffic accident. Some sources have alleged that the Syrian regime may have been behind his brother’s death. During the Assad regime in Syria, Hijri initially maintained a close stance towards the regime, but in 2013, he faced intense criticism for appearing with Bashar al-Assad at his brother Ahmed’s funeral. He is known as the architect of the protests and uprising in Sweida, particularly in recent times, by taking a defiant stance against the new Syrian government forces. He has called for international peacekeeping forces, particularly Israel, to intervene to protect the Druze community.

(Hikmet al-Hijri)

Why is Israel helping the Hijri?

Israel acts out of a sense of moral obligation to the Druze community; it intervenes to prevent harm to this group, which it considers a “brother community.” Israel views the Druzes as a loyal community with long-standing ties to the country’s military and security structures; this sense of mutual loyalty translates into a mission of support for the Syrian Druzes. Druzes living in Israel serve their country by actively serving in the military. Therefore, the State of Israel views the Druzes in Syria as “extensions of its own citizens” and considers aiding them a “sacred duty.” In the Suwayda incident, approximately 2,000 Israeli army personnel serving with the Israeli army announced their readiness to cross from the Golan Heights to the Sweida region in support of the Druze. Israel aims to prevent regime forces from intervening in Druze settlements in southern Syria and to gain a strategic advantage by declaring the southern provinces (Suwayda, Daraa, etc.) as demilitarized zones, exerting military pressure.

On February 24, Netanyahu told the Syrian interim government that they would not allow the deployment of a new regime army in southern Syria (Sweida, Daraa, and Quneitra). He stated that he would defend the Druze of Sweida within the framework of Israel’s protection policy.

On March 1, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz, citing potential attacks on Druze around Jaramane, the Syrian capital of Damascus, ordered the army to prepare for an intervention in southern Syria.

Israel declared to the Syrian government, “We will protect the Druze and will take every step if necessary.”

On April 30, Israel launched airstrikes against the group, which was reportedly preparing to attack the Druze community south of Damascus.

The Syrian army’s role in Suwayda

After the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, the Druzes did not accept the new Syrian government in Suwayda province. Although the new Syrian government appointed a governor to Sweida province, the desired outcome was not achieved. Initially, calm was maintained, but the Hijri-backed Druze continually disrupted this peace. In the most recent incident, the Syrian army attempted to seize control of the city center of Sweida by creating a buffer zone between the Druze and the Bedouin. Almost 80% of the city had been cleared of Druzes, but Israel’s increasing airstrikes acted as a deterrent and forced Syria to withdraw from Suwayda.

The Syrian army’s complete withdrawal from the city center and surrounding countryside left the Bedouin tribes and the Druze alone. Seeing the tribes as isolated, the Hijri-backed Druze militia began committing massacres against the Bedouin, leading to clashes. As a result, Israel called on the Syrian government to intervene, albeit limitedly, in Suwayda and restore order. A 13-article agreement was signed with the Hijra. Despite the agreement, the Druze side did not comply and continued to intermittently attack Syrian army personnel and Bedouin tribesmen stationed in Suwayda.

Israeli airstrikes

The airstrikes began approximately a day after the Syrian army’s intervention in Suwayda province. Israeli warplanes began conducting low-speed airstrikes on Syrian army vehicles moving in Suwayda on July 14.

(Airstrike targeting a T-72M1 tank located between the villages of Mezra and Sami in the Suwayda Province, Location: 32.813373, 36.394493)

Israeli airstrikes continued until the Syrian army withdrew from Suwayda province. The Israeli army targeted Syrian army positions in both Suwayda and Daraa.

(Near Daraa city center, 54th Brigade)

(Izra city of Daraa, 12th Brigade, Location: 32.851288, 36.261260)

(General Staff Headquarters, Damascus, Location: 33.513901, 36.278586)

(Presidential Palace, Damascus, Location: 33.515380, 36.253688)

Actors Supporting the Decentralized State in Syria

Israel:

• Seeks to prevent a strong and united Syria to secure its borders and regional interests.
• Supports the delegitimization and weakening of the Syrian state.
• Distrusts the new Syrian government, fearing it could ally with hostile actors or challenge Israeli interests.
• US Ambassador to Ankara and Special Representative for Syria, Barrack, said regarding Israel and the region: “Israel prefers Syria to be fragmented and divided rather than to have the country controlled by a strong central state.”

Druzes:

• Consists of officers from the ousted Assad regime and local fighters.
• Led by religious leader Hikmat al-Hijri.
• Driven by historical marginalization and local government ambitions, they demand autonomy.
• Distrust Damascus and believe that decentralization will secure Druze rights.
• Israeli support strengthens their separatist agenda.

Remnants of the Assad Regime:

• Dismissed officers are exploiting the unrest to regain lost influence.
• They are being protected by outlaw groups (Druzes, Honorable Mans) in Suwayda.
• They are attempting to revitalize an Alawite-dominated coastal state and disrupt Syrian stability.
• They are exploiting the unrest to discredit crimes committed under the Assad regime and protect their networks.

Iranian Axis:

• It aims to reassert its regional influence by weakening Syria’s unity.
• It uses proxies for funding, propaganda, and security infiltration.
• It supports groups opposing the new Syrian government.
• It aims to reestablish its strategic corridor to Lebanon.

Actors Supporting the State Centered in Syria

Syrian Government:

• Committed to national unity; rejects federalism and separatist demands.
• Committed to preserving the sovereignty of countries.
• Concerns that allowing Druze autonomy could lead to similar initiatives by the YPG/SDF in northeastern Syria and the Alawite communities in coastal Syria, potentially reigniting the civil war and leading to the collapse of the existing Syrian state.

Druze Notables:

• Two senior religious leaders (Hammoud al Hinnawi and Yousef Jarbou) support the integration of Suwayda into Damascus.

(Hinnawi and Jarbou)

• Jarbou: “The people of Suwayda defend their state and national identity and refuse to form alliances with foreign actors.”
• They advocate for unity to preserve the Druze identity within a sovereign Syria.
• They oppose armed rebellion and the exploitation of the Druze cause by foreigners.

Arab Tribes:

• Numerous tribal leaders fought alongside the current government during the revolution.
• All support Syrian territorial integrity.

Türkiye, Arabic Countries and the USA

• They support Syria’s territorial integrity and legitimate government.
• They oppose Iranian and Russian influence.
• They see Syrian unity as essential for border security, the fight against terrorism, and regional peace.
• Regional countries aim to create a reliable neighbor after Assad.
• US Ambassador to Ankara and Special Representative for Syria, Barrack: “There cannot be a structure where Druze forces act like Druze, Alawites act like Alawites, and Kurds act like Kurds; there must be a single, unified structure. There will be no free Kurdistan or a separate SDF state.”

The Druzes relationship with the Baath regime

From 2011 to 2024, the Druze experienced phases of initially distant cooperation with the regime, then fragile trust, and finally open discontent.

The Druze did not directly clash with the Assad regime in early 2011. Most of the population attempted to remain neutral, with few protests. The regime generally neglected Druze areas but provided protection against radical groups. More than 250 Druzes were killed in the 2018 ISIS attack in Suwayda. Locals accused the regime of “deliberate negligence.” Trust was fractured. Mass protests erupted in Suwayda due to the economic crisis, regime mafias, and the pressure of conscription. During this period, the Druze began to openly protest against the regime.

How long have Bedouins been in the region?

Bedouins have lived semi-nomadically in these two regions for centuries. Especially since the 18th century, in the southern Syrian desert zone (around Hauran, Lajat, Daraa, and Suwayda), Arab Bedouin tribes (Sardiyye, Anaza, Ruwala, etc.) lived a nomadic lifestyle, subsisting on animal husbandry. The Druze settled permanently in Suwayda and its surroundings in the mid-19th century (especially those arriving from Lebanon after the 1850s) following Ottoman encouragement of settlement. While the Bedouins are the oldest group in the region, the settled Druze population has been concentrated in this region for 150–170 years.

While the Druze are a settled agricultural society, the Bedouin are nomadic and practice animal husbandry. This has created constant friction over pasture, water, and land. During the French mandate (1920–40), the Druze established autonomous structures in Suwayda, leading to the Bedouin’s feelings of marginalization. With the weakening of state authority after 2011, tensions increased between Druze local militias and Bedouin groups over issues such as smuggling, mafia control, public order, and land seizures.