Dozens of Israeli civilians crossed into Syria during a protest near Majdal Shams, amid fierce clashes between Druze fighters and armed factions in Syria’s Sweida region.
Golan Heights / Sweida, Syria — On Friday night, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Border Police were called into action to disperse a violent gathering of Israeli civilians near the Syrian border in the Majdal Shams area. The group, described as aggressive toward security personnel, breached the border fence and entered Syrian territory, sparking a rapid response from Israeli forces.
In an official statement, the IDF condemned the violence against its soldiers and the unlawful border crossing, warning of its criminal implications and the danger it poses to both civilians and military personnel.
“Crossing into Syria constitutes a criminal offense and endangers the public as well as IDF soldiers,” the statement read. “The IDF strongly condemns all violence of any kind against its personnel.”
Efforts are ongoing to safely return the civilians who entered Syrian territory.
The unrest at the border unfolded as Syria’s Druze-majority Sweida region descended into its deadliest escalation in years. According to AFP and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), fierce clashes broke out Friday between local Druze fighters and armed Bedouin tribal factions aligned with Syria’s Islamist-led interim government.
The violence erupted after the Syrian army withdrew from Sweida on Thursday, reportedly in response to Israeli airstrikes and intense diplomatic pressure. By Friday night, Damascus announced a redeployment of government forces to the volatile region.
The clashes—fought with machine guns, mortars, and heavy shelling—have devastated city neighborhoods and overwhelmed infrastructure. The ICRC warned that health services are collapsing, morgues are overflowing, and electricity cuts are preventing the preservation of bodies.
“The situation is critical. People are running out of everything,” said Stephan Sakalian, ICRC’s head of delegation in Syria.
According to SOHR, at least 638 people have died since hostilities reignited earlier this week—marking the worst bloodshed since April-May, when Druze-led protests and army clashes around Sweida and Damascus killed over 100 people.
The UN Human Rights Office has demanded a “prompt and transparent investigation” into all reported violations. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk reiterated the call for the protection of civilians as a top priority.
The renewed violence, combined with border tensions involving Israeli citizens, underscores the fragile and volatile dynamics between Syria, its minority groups, and neighboring Israel—raising concerns about further escalation and regional instability.
