Netanyahu Reveals Direct Warning to Syrian President That Halted Druze Massacre
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed he warned Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa that Israel would intensify strikes if the massacre of Druze stopped, halting the bloodshed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed on Thursday during a conference with the Druze community in Yarka that he recently spoke with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
A Direct Warning to Damascus
"It was a very short, very sharp conversation, and the massacre [of the Druze] stopped," Netanyahu said. "I will do whatever it takes to protect our Druze brothers; there is more work to be done—I cannot tell everything." Netanyahu initiated the call to al-Sharaa, delivering a clear message that if the killing of the Druze did not cease, Israel would intensify its strikes against the Syrian regime. Consequently, the bloodshed halted.
During a subsequent gathering with dozens of supporters in Acre, the Prime Minister added that in the next government—should he form it—the Defense Ministry and the National Security Ministry will remain under Likud control.
Background on the Conflict and Human Rights Violations
In July of last year, heavy fighting between Bedouin gunmen in Syria and regime forces left thousands dead and hundreds summarily executed by Syrian security forces, while hundreds of thousands were displaced. Human rights organizations documented the abduction of numerous Druze women and girls by armed groups tied to the Syrian government, alongside systematic sexual violence. A US-brokered ceasefire was reached in July, but it proved fragile, culminating in a regime siege on As-Suwayda in February 2026 that cut off food and medical supplies.
Al-Sharaa later condemned the massacres, claiming he views the community as an "integral part" of Syria and promising to hold perpetrators legally accountable.
