‘Very dangerous to be a minority’: Israel slams Syrian President after Sweida violence

Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar has accused Syria’s interim president of siding with violent factions and endangering minority communities. This came after days of bloodshed in the Druze-majority city of Sweida.

“In al-Sharaa’s Syria, it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority – Kurd, Druze, Alawite, or Christian,” Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in a post on X. “This has been proven time and again over the past six months.”

Saar’s remarks came after Syrian forces moved into Sweida to enforce a ceasefire, following nearly a week of brutal fighting between Bedouin fighters and Druze groups.

The interim government in Damascus, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, urged all sides to respect the truce. But gunfire was still heard Saturday morning, and videos showed smoke rising from city streets.

In a televised speech, Sharaa criticized Israeli airstrikes in southern Syria and Damascus, saying, “The Israeli intervention pushed the country into a dangerous phase that threatened its stability.”

He also warned that Syria would not be a “testing ground for partition, secession, or sectarian incitement.”

Despite the ceasefire, violence has persisted. A local resident told Reuters that the sounds of gunfire continued early Saturday.

Reuters-verified video footage confirmed government forces on the ground as smoke billowed and shots rang out.

The conflict has overwhelmed Sweida’s local hospital. Omar Obeid, the hospital’s director, said, “All the injuries are from bombs, some people with their chests wounded. There are also injuries to limbs from shrapnel.”

The unrest marks one of the most serious threats to Syria’s Islamist-led government since it came to power after rebels overthrew Bashar al-Assad in December.

Israel says its military operations are aimed at protecting the Druze population, which has a strong presence in Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. But it remains at odds with Washington, which supports a unified Syrian state under Sharaa’s leadership.

Earlier this year, Syrian forces were involved in the mass killings of Alawite civilians and clashed with Druze fighters in May—raising alarms about the safety of minorities under the new regime.

On Friday, US envoy Tom Barrack announced a temporary ceasefire deal between Syria and Israel, supported by Turkey, Jordan, and other regional powers.

Barrack called on Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to disarm and “build a new and united Syrian identity” together with other minorities.

An Israeli official later confirmed that Syrian forces would be allowed limited access to Sweida for 48 hours under the agreement.

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