Five Syrian-Druze civilians were evacuated Friday overnight to receive medical treatment in Israeli territory, the IDF announced on Saturday.
They were evacuated to the Ziv Medical Center in Safed after sustaining injuries in Syrian territory.
The military stated that it deployed soldiers in southern Syria and is prepared to prevent hostile forces from entering the area, including Druze villages.
In addition, the Army Radio confirmed 16 Syrian-Druze citizens treated in Israel in recent days.
צה''ל: 5 סורים דרוזים פונו לקבלת טיפול רפואי בישראל; בימים האחרונים טופלו בארץ 16 דרוזים אזרחי סוריה@Doron_Kadosh https://t.co/5zO6p8yjyH
— גלצ (@GLZRadio) May 3, 2025
The spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel, Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday and thanked him for protecting Druze, sending a message to Syria.
The Druze factions in Syria confirmed that food aid was delivered to them overnight from IDF forces, Channel 12 reported. A video circulated online shows IDF fighters transferring packages that are loaded onto trucks.
הפלגים הדרוזים בסוריה טוענים: קיבלנו סיוע מישראל התיעוד שפרסמו | https://t.co/TPFLINsNws pic.twitter.com/B4NHLM3JjL
— החדשות - N12 (@N12News) May 3, 2025
Striking the presidential palace compound in Damascus
The actions, which included striking the presidential palace compound in Damascus, were said by Sheikh Tarif to be a deterrent message to the new Syrian regime on Israel’s commitment to keeping the Druze community safe.
Netanyahu and Katz stated that the strike was "a clear message" that Israel would not allow any danger to the Druze community.
Disturbing reports and videos are circulating on social media that appear to show the deliberate targeting and dehumanization of the Druze community in Syria, The Jerusalem Post reported on Friday.
Although the Druze communities in Israel, Lebanon, and Syria are in different locations, all of them are interconnected with each other, as many of them have distant cousins and relatives in each country.