Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a stark warning to the Syrian government on Wednesday, threatening to escalate military action in southern Syria if Damascus continues operations in Druze-majority areas.
“The pace of strikes in Syria will increase if our message isn’t understood,” Katz said in remarks carried by Israeli media. “Southern Syria will become a demilitarized zone.”
Katz’s comments follow a series of Israeli airstrikes targeting Syrian regime forces near the city of As-Suwayda, where clashes between Druze groups, Bedouin fighters, and government forces have intensified in recent days. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the violence has left more than 250 people dead.
“The Syrian regime must leave the Druze in As-Suwayda alone and withdraw its forces,” Katz said. “As we have clarified and warned—Israel will not abandon the Druze in Syria and will enforce the demilitarization policy we have decided upon. The IDF will continue to strike regime forces until they withdraw from the area—and will soon raise the threshold of responses against the regime if the message is not understood.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released footage of its latest strikes against Syrian military targets, showing tanks, rocket launchers, and pickup trucks with mounted machine guns being destroyed as they moved toward Sweida. The military also said it struck access routes used by Syrian forces.
In a statement, the IDF said it “continues to monitor developments and activity against Druze civilians in southern Syria and, in accordance with the directives of the political echelon, is attacking the area and is prepared for various scenarios.”
The violence in southern Syria has spilled across borders, with hundreds of Israeli Druze crossing into Syria on Wednesday in solidarity with the community in Sweida. Druze leaders in Israel have called for a general strike and “days of rage” to protest the Syrian regime’s actions.
The Israeli military said its operations are aimed at protecting Sweida’s population from further attacks by Syrian government forces and allied militias. The situation highlights Israel’s growing concerns about the security of the Druze minority in Syria and the potential for the conflict to destabilize the Golan Heights and other border regions.
Katz’s warning comes amid heightened regional tensions and signals Israel’s readiness to escalate its involvement in Syria if its demands are not met.