Israel threatens to target Syrian government forces until they withdraw from Sweida

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz says the Israeli military will continue to strike Syrian government forces unless they withdraw from the Druze-majority city of Sweida.

“The Syrian regime must leave the Druze in Sweida alone and withdraw its forces. As we have made clear and warned, Israel will not abandon the Druze in Syria and will enforce the demilitarisation policy we have decided on,” Katz said in a statement.

“The IDF will continue to strike regime forces until they withdraw from the area, and will soon escalate its response against the regime if the message is not understood,” he added.

The Syrian government deployed its forces in the area after several days of armed clashes between Druze factions and Bedouin tribes.

According to war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 248 people, including 138 Syrian security personnel, along with 18 allied Bedouin fighters and 92 members of the Druze minority, 28 of them civilians, were killed in the clashes.