Hundreds of people have reportedly fled from Syria into Israel following the outbreak of violence in the south of the country, Israeli media reported on Thursday.
The Israeli military returned dozens to the neighbouring country overnight, the ynet news portal wrote. Most of them were said to be members of the Druze religious minority. Efforts were currently under way to locate more Syrian Druze.
The Israeli military did not confirm the information upon request.
The Times of Israel also reported that Israeli forces had sent back several Syrian Druze, adding that it was unclear how many Syrian Druze remained in Israel.
The newspaper quoted one Syrian as saying he wanted to stay in Israel, not return to his homeland. He arrived in the country on Wednesday and was accompanied by his young son, according to the report.
Clashes between Sunni Bedouins and Druze have escalated in recent days, centred on the Druze-majority city of Sweida, with Syrian government troops deployed to the area.
Report: 1,000 Israeli Druze enter Syria
At the same time, the Israeli military brought dozens of Israeli Druze back from Syria overnight, the Times of Israel reported.
According to ynet, around 1,000 Druze from Israel had crossed the border into Syria on Wednesday to help protect their brethren from the violence. Many Druze in Israel have relatives in the neighbouring country.
According to the Times of Israel, several dozen Druze from Israel are still in Syria.
Holes in the border fence are now being repaired, the Times reported, citing the military. Blockades were reportedly also being erected to prevent further border crossings. The military warned that crossing the border is a criminal offence.
Media reported that members of the Israeli parliament belonging to the religious minority also crossed the border fence to bring Israeli Druze back home.
Syrian president to Israel: Don’t try to drag us into war
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa accused Israel earlier Thursday of attempting to drag Syria into a war and said his country would not take the bait.
“We, the people of Syria, know very well who is trying to drag us into war and who is working to divide us,” al-Sharaa said in a dawn speech broadcast on national television.
“We will not give them the opportunity to entangle our people in a war that serves only to fragment our homeland and sow destruction.”
Al-Sharaa blamed Israel for exploiting instability in the wake of regime change, accusing it of targeting civilian infrastructure and seeking to derail reconstruction efforts.
“Power alone does not guarantee victory, and igniting a war is not the same as controlling its outcome,” he said. “We are stronger than any attempt to tear us apart.”
Addressing internal unrest in the southern province of Sweida, al-Sharaa said the government had intervened to end armed clashes between local groups.
Al-Sharaa blamed “outlawed factions” for rejecting dialogue and fuelling disorder while accusing Israel of exploiting the unrest through strikes on civilian infrastructure to derail peace efforts.
He also reaffirmed the Druze community’s place in Syrian society, underscoring the state’s commitment to protecting their rights and freedoms, and warned against attempts to drag it into foreign agendas.
Israeli Druze prevented by Israeli Defence Forces from crossing into Syria. ILIA YEFIMOVICH/dpa