JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s protection ministry on Saturday stated the army has been suggested to organize to protect a Druze agreement within the suburbs of Damascus, announcing that the minority it has vowed to offer protection to was once “beneath assault” via Syrian forces.The commentary, bringing up an order from High Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Protection Minister Israel Katz, follows an Israeli caution ultimate weekend that the forces of neighboring Syria’s new executive and the rebel team that led ultimate yr’s ouster of former President Bashar Assad will have to now not input the world south of Damascus.Saturday’s commentary signifies that Israeli forces may just push farther into Syria as its new government attempt to consolidate keep watch over after greater than a decade of civil struggle. Israeli forces lately arrange posts in a buffer zone and on strategic Mt. Hermon within sight. There were no main clashes between Israeli troops and Syria’s new forces.
“We can now not permit the terrorist regime of radical Islam in Syria to hurt the Druze. If the regime harms the Druze, it’s going to be harmed via us,” the commentary stated.There was once no quick reaction from Syria’s executive.
The Druze are a spiritual minority who are living in southern Syria and in Israel’s Golan Heights, the place they navigate their traditionally Syrian identification whilst dwelling beneath Israeli rule.Israel’s commentary adopted the outbreak of unrest Friday within the Druze agreement of Jaramana, when a member of the protection forces entered and began taking pictures within the air, resulting in an trade of fireplace with native gunmen that left him lifeless.
On Saturday, gunmen got here from the Damascus suburb of Mleiha to Jaramana, the place they clashed with Druze gunmen. That left one Druze fighter lifeless and 9 folks wounded, in step with the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a struggle track.The Israeli caution ultimate Sunday to Syrian forces and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the principle former rebellion team, made transparent that Israeli forces would keep in portions of southern Syria for an indefinite length.
“We call for all the demilitarization of southern Syria within the provinces of Quneitra, Daraa and Sweida from the forces of the brand new regime,” that previous commentary stated. “Likewise, we can now not tolerate any danger to the Druze neighborhood in southern Syria.”After the autumn of Assad in December, Israel seized the U.N.-patrolled buffer zone on Syrian territory. The zone was once arrange beneath a 1974 ceasefire settlement. Syria’s new government and U.N. officers have referred to as for Israel to withdraw.In the meantime, Netanyahu’s executive has been beneath power to offer protection to Israelis dwelling close to border spaces within the north because it tries to go back citizens of the north to their properties.
