Netanyahu urges Israeli Druze not to cross border amid escalating crisis in Sweida

Reuters

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a strong warning to the country's Druze community, urging them not to cross the border into Syria amid intensifying clashes in the southern province of Sweida.

Netanyahu said Israel is actively working to assist Druze populations in Syria’s Sweida region, where fierce fighting has erupted between local Druze forces and regime-aligned militias. “The situation in Sweida is very serious,” he said, adding that the Israeli Air Force and other security forces are closely monitoring developments.

Addressing Israel’s Druze citizens directly, Netanyahu cautioned against taking matters into their own hands: “Do not cross the border. You are risking your lives; you could be killed or kidnapped.”

The statement comes as tensions in the region continue to rise, raising concerns of wider destabilisation along Israel’s northern frontier.

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