Netanyahu Reveals Call to Syrian President to Halt Druze Massacre

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed on Thursday that he had spoken with Syrian President Ahmed al-Shar'a, stating that a phone call he made had led to the cessation of a massacre targeting the Druze community in Syria. Speaking at a gathering with the Druze community in Yarka, Netanyahu said, "I called him, it was a short and sharp conversation, and the massacre of the Druze stopped." He pledged to do "everything necessary to protect you, your brothers, and our brothers," adding that efforts were needed to help them return to their homes, though he could not disclose further details.

The article details that the Druze massacre in Syria occurred in April 2025, following the collapse of the Assad regime and the rise of a Syrian transitional government led by Ahmed al-Shar'a, also referred to as "al-Julani." The conflict, described as a Druze-Sunni confrontation, peaked in the latter half of 2025, primarily in the southern Syrian province of al-Suwayda, a Druze stronghold. The violence, characterized by attacks from new regime forces and Sunni militias, resulted in thousands of civilian deaths and a severe humanitarian crisis. A major massacre in al-Suwayda in July of the previous year claimed over 3,500 lives, including women and children. Reports emerged of atrocities, summary executions, and systematic rape, adding to earlier killings in the Damascus suburbs. These events caused outrage among the Druze community in Israel, prompting hundreds to breach the border fence on the Golan Heights to join the fighting and defend their villages.