Syrian Druze protest waving Israeli flags, call for annexation by Israel

Footage shared on TV and social media depicted armed Druze protesters in Sweida, Syria, wearing military vests with Israeli flags, calling for self-determination.

A large protest was held in Sweida, Syria, on Saturday by local Druze residents calling for it to be annexed by Israel, with many of the protesters wearing Israeli flags and military equipment, KAN reported. Footage shared on TV and social media depicted armed Druze protesters wearing military vests with Israeli flags. According to KAN, the vests were delivered as part of a recent humanitarian aid shipment to the Druze in the region.

The demonstrations have also been held under the banner of “the right for self-determination,” with participants calling to have a say in the destiny of their future as tensions continue to boil over in the Sweida area, Israeli media reported.

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Ahmed al-Sharaa: Israel is interfering

Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa accused Israel of interfering in what is happening in Sweida, Ynet reported Sunday. He noted that there are elements within Syria that seek support from Israel, but that obtaining it is difficult, and further called for unity in the country.

The Sweida Province has been ravaged by violence for over a month, with armed Druze and Bedouin groups clashing in the city and surrounding villages.

The Syrian government dispatched troops to the area to quell the fighting, and the IDF has also carried out targeted airstrikes in order to prevent the Syrian army from getting close to the Israeli border. Sweida has a majority Druze population, though tensions have long simmered with the local Bedouin minority for decades, which have occasionally erupted into clashes.

However, these latest clashes come following the ousting of the Assad regime in 2024, with the Hayat Tahrir al-Shams rebel group leading the formation of the new transitional government as they attempt to return Syria to stability after over a decade of civil war.