Israel has been secretly providing weapons and military support to Druze factions in Syria, beginning days after the fall of Bashar al-Assad and the rise of Ahmed al-Sharaa, according to a report by The Washington Post.
The report said Israel began supplying the Druze in Syria with aid that included weapons and ammunition dropped by air to arm their military council in the southern province of Suwaida. Citing around 20 sources — including Israeli and Western officials, government advisers, Druze commanders in Syria and political figures from neighbouring countries — the newspaper said the effort forms part of a long-term Israeli strategy that continues to this day.
According to the report, the transfer of arms peaked in April during clashes between Druze fighters and the Syrian army. The pace of the transfers reportedly slowed last August, as serious negotiations began over a security agreement that has yet to be implemented, amid growing Israeli doubts over the objectives of the Druze forces.
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The newspaper said Israel has also been paying monthly stipends of between $100 and $200 to roughly 3,000 Druze fighters, while continuing to airdrop military equipment, including body armour and medical supplies. Druze leaders quoted in the report said the support has effectively weakened al-Sharaa’s ability to consolidate authority across the country.
In comments following a recent meeting with US President Donald Trump, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said Israel’s backing of separatist movements such as the Druze obstructs regional stability and fuels the risk of wider wars.
Al-Sharaa warned that Israeli expansionist policies threaten not only Syria but also Jordan, Iraq, Turkey and the Gulf states. He said Israel’s actions undermine efforts to stabilise the region and risk drawing neighbouring countries into broader conflict.
In the same interview, al-Sharaa said he hoped Israel would withdraw from territories it has occupied in the buffer zone, allowing Syria to move towards stability and reconstruction.
READ: Israeli defense minister vows no full withdrawal from Gaza, occupied Syrian territories