Syrians flee to Israel amid violence

Hundreds of people would have fled Syria in Israel following the triggering of violence in the south of the country, Israeli media reported on Thursday.

The Israeli army has returned dozens to the neighboring country overnight, the Ynet News portal wrote. Most of them are members of the Druze religious minority. Efforts were currently underway to locate more Syrians Druze.

The Israeli army has not confirmed information on request.

The Times of Israel also pointed out that Israeli forces had returned several Syrians Druze, adding that it was not clear how many Syrian Druze remained in Israel.

The newspaper quoted a Syrian saying that he wanted to stay in Israel, not going back to his homeland. He arrived in the country on Wednesday and was accompanied by his young son, according to the report.

The clashes between the Sunni Bedouins and the Druze have increased in recent days, focused on the city of Druze-Majority, Sweida, with troops of the Syrian government deployed in the region.

Report: 1,000 Israeli Druze enter Syria

At the same time, the Israeli army has brought dozens of Israeli Druze from Syria overnight, the Times of Israel reported.

According to Ynet, around 1,000 Druzes from Israel crossed the border in Syria on Wednesday to help protect their brothers from violence. Many Druze in Israel have parents in the neighboring country.

According to the Times of Israel, several dozen Druze of Israel are still in Syria.

Holes in the border fence are now being repaired, the Times reported, citing the army. Blocs were also said to have been erected to prevent other passages on board. The army warned that the crossing of the border is a criminal offense.

The media reported that members of the Israeli parliament belonging to the religious minority also crossed the border fence to bring the Israeli Druze home.

Syrian president in Israel: do not try to train us in the war

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa accused Israel earlier on Thursday of trying to drag Syria in a war and said that his country would not take bait.

“We, the inhabitants of Syria, know very well who try to train in the war and who works to divide us,” said Al-Sharaa in a discourse of dawn broadcast on national television.

“We will not give them the opportunity to hire our people in a war which only serves to fragment our homeland and to sow destruction.”

Al-Sharaa blamed Israel for the exploitation of instability in the wake of the regime change, accusing him of targeting civil infrastructure and of seeking to derail reconstruction efforts.

“Power alone does not guarantee victory, and the trigger for a war is not the same as controlling its result,” he said. “We are stronger than any attempt to tear us away.”

Tackling internal disorders in the southern province of Sweida, Al-Sharaa said the government had intervened to end the armed confrontations between local groups.

Al-Sharaa blamed the “prohibited factions” to reject dialogue and fuel the troubles while accusing Israel of having exploited the disorders by strikes on civil infrastructure to derail peace efforts.

He also reaffirmed the place of the Druze community in Syrian society, stressing the state’s commitment to protect their rights and freedoms, and warned against attempts at agitation in foreign agendas.