Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly outlined his government’s military strategy and humanitarian rationale for recent airstrikes in Syria, stating that Israel acted to both uphold a critical security policy and to prevent further atrocities against the Druze community near the Syrian capital.
In a strongly worded address, Netanyahu said that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out “powerful” operations targeting Syrian regime forces who had entered areas south of Damascus — zones that Israel has long designated as demilitarized.
These forces, he alleged, were not only in violation of Israel’s red lines but had also begun attacking the local Druze population.
“We have set forth a clear policy: demilitarization of the region to the south of Damascus, from the Golan Heights to the Druze Mountain area,” Netanyahu stated.
“Rule number two is protecting the brothers of our brothers, the Druze at the Druze Mountain.”
The Prime Minister claimed that both those principles had been breached when Syrian regime forces moved southward and initiated a campaign of violence against the Druze community.
In response, he said, he ordered the Israeli Air Force to strike both the “gangs of murderers” and armored vehicles operating in the area.
In a significant escalation, Netanyahu added that he authorized a strike on the Syrian Ministry of Defense in Damascus as part of the operation.
“This is a ceasefire that was reached through strength,” Netanyahu said, referring to a subsequent pause in hostilities and the withdrawal of Syrian troops back to Damascus.
“Not by making requests, not by begging — through strength.”
The Prime Minister emphasized that Israel would continue to enforce the demilitarization of areas adjacent to its northern frontier, warning that no Syrian army forces would be permitted to redeploy south of the capital in the future.
His remarks also focused on Israel’s responsibility toward the Druze people, both in Israel and across the border. Netanyahu highlighted a message he received from Sheikh Muafak Tarif, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel.
The sheikh had reportedly drawn a poignant comparison between the current plight of the Druze in Syria and the lack of international response during the Jewish Holocaust.
“During the Holocaust, when you were being slaughtered, you, the Jews, cried for help and no one came,” the message read.
“Today we, the Druze, are being slaughtered and we are calling for the help of the State of Israel.”
Netanyahu said the message moved him deeply and reaffirmed his decision to act decisively. “I told him that he’s right. We have taken action, and we will continue to take action as necessary,” he said.
According to the Prime Minister, this approach of assertive defense forms the core of Israel’s broader regional security posture, which he described as “peace through strength, quiet through strength, security through strength — on seven fronts.”
While the Prime Minister did not elaborate on those seven fronts, Israel has long been involved in countering threats from multiple directions, including Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank, Iran, and more recently cyber and internal threats.
The Israeli strikes, though not officially confirmed in full by the IDF, have already drawn international attention. Damascus has yet to issue a formal response, but state-run Syrian media previously condemned Israeli airstrikes as violations of sovereignty and acts of aggression.
Observers say Netanyahu’s latest statement represents one of the clearest articulations of Israel’s forward military policy toward Syria in recent months.
It also highlights the deep historical and cultural bonds between Israel’s Jewish majority and the Druze minority, who have served in the Israeli military and civic institutions with distinction.
As tensions remain high in the region, Netanyahu’s remarks signal Israel’s readiness to intervene militarily in Syria whenever red lines are crossed — particularly when it concerns the Druze population or the strategic Golan region.
