An armed man stands guard as people walk near Syouf Square in the predominantly Druze and Christian suburb of Jaramana in Damascus on April 30, 2025. (Credit: Louai Beshara/AFP)
Lebanon's top Druze figures, Walid Jumblatt and Sheikh Akl Sami Abi al-Mouna, intensified diplomatic efforts on Wednesday to contain a deadly escalation between Druze militiamen and groups allied with Syria's new government just outside of its capital Damascus, and to denounce Israel's interference.
Israeli fighter jets bombs several sites around Damascus on Wednesday, as Jumblatt, the former Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader, urged the Syrian Druze community to refuse any attempts by Israel to intervene and accused some of seeking Israeli assistance. “The preservation of our brothers [in Syria] involves silencing certain internal voices that have begun seeking Israel’s help,” he said.
In two days of fighting, around 40 people have been killed. Israel, who, since Assad's fall has claimed to be ready to defend the Druze minority in Syria against the new government, said for the first time that it was preparing to attack "extremist groups" should fighting not quiet, and then subsequently carried out around four strikes targeting security personnel in the mainly Druze town of Ashrafieh Sahnaya, Al Jazeera reported, citing a Interior Ministry source.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry responded with a statement rejecting "all forms of foreign intervention" in the country's internal affairs, and declared Syria's commitment to protecting all Syrian groups "including the noble Druze sect," Reuters reported.
Jumblatt also criticized the religious leader of the Druze in Israel, Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, accusing him of wanting to “drag the Druze of Lebanon and Syria into a war against all Muslims.” He condemned any insult to the Prophet Muhammad and advocated for appeasement and dialogue, calling on Syrian authorities to conduct a transparent investigation into the deadly incidents in Jaramana.
The Damascus suburb was attacked by groups affiliated with the government, led by disbanded Sunni Islamist groups, after an audio message circulated online in which a man criticizes Prophet Muhammad. The clip was attributed to a Druze cleric. Around 13 people were killed in the clashes before an agreement was reached on Tuesday evening between government representatives and Druze leaders in the town, to end the fighting, compensate victims’ families and work on bringing perpetrators to justice, according to The Associated Press, which saw a copy of the agreement.
Jumblatt expressed his willingness to travel to Syria, calling for the creation of a dialogue committee with all parties to contribute to a political solution.
Intensive diplomatic efforts
In a statement released Wednesday, the PSP announced that Jumblatt had engaged in intensive contacts with regional actors, including the Syrian administration, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan, calling on the concerned parties to work for a cease-fire in Ashrafieh Sahnaya. Jumblatt also demanded that “the issue be addressed following the logic of the state and respecting Syria’s unity with all its components.”
The Druze Sheikh Akl, Sami Abi al-Mouna, has also increased local and international appeals. “Our honorable compatriots of Jaramana and Ashrafieh Sahnaya are perfectly capable of defending themselves. Their wise leaders can devote their efforts to ending the discord that those seeking to harm the country wish to stir,” Mouna said, referring to Israeli involvement in the conflict.
Communication with Israel
Jumblatt's local adversary and former Druze minister Wi’am Wahhab, condemned the new Syrian government, under interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, saying “the Syrian state has failed to protect civilians.” On his X account, he accused “suicide bombers of launching a large-scale attack on the besieged village of Sahnaya, adjacent to Daraya,” and argued that “international protection of minorities has become a necessity.” “We call on everyone to support Sahnaya and defend it by all means,” he wrote.
“International intervention is necessary to protect minorities in Syria,” he said. "Sharaa is completely incapable, despite his desire to end the attacks.” He thanked “the General Security Directorate in Idleb, which deployed security forces to protect the Druze villages of Jabal al-Summak.”
On Tuesday evening, Wahhab claimed to journalist Tony Khalife that he had held discussions with Israel's Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif and indicated that the “Druze pilots [of the Israeli army]” were ready to bomb sites in Syria.
In a post on Facebook, Mohanad Hage Ali of the Carnegie Middle East Center, noted the significance of such a statement. “Wi’am Wahhab’s commentary on his communication with Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, as well as his pride in seeing Israeli aircraft piloted by Druze pilots striking to protect Jaramana, is significant,” he wrote. “This is a new stage where communication with Israel is now part of the political game, not only in Syria but also in Lebanon.”
"Reports are multiplying of meetings and exchanges that are not limited to Wahhab, but also to allies of Hezbollah, among others," Ali continued. "The question that remains is whether this communication is a one-off, or whether it existed before this war and the fatal errors it engendered."
