Netanyahu Claims One Call to Syrian President Ended Druze Massacre
Translated & summarized from Vesty by baba
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed he personally called Syrian President Ahmed al-Shar'a to halt the killing of Druze, warning of intensified Israeli strikes if the violence continued. The call, described as brief and tough, reportedly ended the massacre. The conflict in Syria, which saw over 3,500 deaths and documented abuses against Druze women, prompted Israeli strikes to protect the community. A fragile ceasefire was eventually negotiated in July 2026 after a Syrian regime blockade of the Druze heartland.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Benjamin Netanyahu claims a single phone call to Syrian President Ahmed al-Shar'a stopped the massacre of Druze.
- Over 3,500 people died in clashes involving Druze, Bedouin, and Syrian government forces starting in July 2025.
- Human rights groups documented over 100 Druze women abducted and subjected to sexual violence.
- Israel conducted strikes against Syrian regime targets to protect the Druze population during the conflict.
- A U.S.-mediated ceasefire was agreed upon in July 2026 but proved unstable.
- The Syrian regime imposed a blockade on As-Suwayda in February 2026, cutting off essential supplies.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he personally called Syrian President Ahmed al-Shar'a and warned him that Israel would intensify strikes against the Syrian regime if the killing of Druze people did not cease. Netanyahu shared these details on Thursday, October 15, during a meeting with representatives of the Druze community in Yarka. "The conversation was very short, very tough, and the massacre stopped," Netanyahu recounted. He pledged to do everything necessary to protect the Druze, adding that the work is not yet complete and he cannot disclose all details.
In July 2025, clashes between Druze militias and armed Bedouin groups in As-Suwayda escalated into large-scale battles involving Syrian government forces, who also opposed the Druze. Over 3,500 people were killed. Human rights organizations documented the abduction of over one hundred Druze women and girls by armed groups linked to Syrian authorities, reporting systematic rape and sexual violence. In at least three confirmed cases, women were raped before execution. For months, social media featured recordings of massacres, humiliation, and religiously motivated killings.
During the height of the conflict, Israel conducted strikes against Syrian regime targets in As-Suwayda and Damascus to protect the Druze population. According to the Prime Minister, he issued the warning about increased attacks to al-Shar'a on his own initiative. A ceasefire was negotiated with U.S. mediation on July 19, 2026, following a previous failed attempt, but the truce proved fragile, with clashes resuming in subsequent months.
In February 2026, the Syrian regime imposed a blockade on As-Suwayda, the center of the country's Druze community, cutting off food and medicine supplies to the entire province. Many settlements were abandoned, and the fate of dozens of abducted women and men remains unknown. No one has been brought to justice. Al-Shar'a condemned the mass killings of Druze by his forces, calling the community an integral part of Syria. He promised to investigate the crimes, stating that illegal actions contradicted the principles of the Syrian state and that those responsible would face legal consequences.
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