The clashes in the Druze city of Sweida in southern Syria resumed on Wednesday despite the so-called “ceasefire” announced by the Syrian government, with Syrian regime forces continuing to humiliate, abduct, and execute Druze.

IDF forces early Wednesday afternoon carried out a drone strike on the entrance to the Syrian military headquarters in Damascus.

Shortly before the strike in Damascus, the IDF carried out drone strikes against Syrian regime forces in Sweida, injuring a number of Syrian security forces.

Meanwhile, chaos is reigning on the Israeli-Syria border as hundreds of Druze gather at the area and try to breach the border and enter Syria. Hundreds entered Syria, and IDF forces are trying to bring them back. Additionally, dozens of Syrian Druze tried to breach the border in the other direction and enter Israel. IDF forces stopped them with riot dispersal means, including tear gas.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that at least 248 people have been killed in the clashes. Dozens of Druze civilians were publicly humiliated and then executed by Syrian regime forces, including an 80-year-old sheikh. According to a report on Channel 14, a shocking video that was published shows two armed men surrounding the 80-year-old sheikh while one of them shaves his mustache in order to humiliate him.

On Tuesday, after it was reported that an agreement had been reached between the Bedouins and the Druze, Syrian regime forces entered the Druze Mountain of Sweida and began to humiliate the Druze, sadistically shaving the mustaches of the Druze they captured, as seen in videos, alongside acts of murder, abuse, and looting. They also forced the Druze to bark like dogs.

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said on Wednesday, “The Syrian regime must leave the Druze in Sweida alone and withdraw its forces. As we have made clear and warned, Israel will not abandon the Druze in Syria and will impose the policy of demilitarization that we have decided upon.”

“The IDF will continue to attack regime forces until their withdrawal from the area and will also soon raise the level of responses against the regime if the message is not understood.”

Meanwhile, leaders of Israel’s Druze community on Wednesday called a general strike and “days of rage” and urged members to cross the border into Syria to aid their brethren.

Dozens of Israeli Druze crossed the border into Syria on Tuesday evening before being brought back by the IDF.

The IDF is preparing for an escalation in Syria and has deployed additional forces along the Syrian border.

Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli, who on Tuesday called for the elimination of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, published harrowing videos of atrocities on Wednesday and commented, “The Islamo-Nazis of Al-Sharaa are forcing their victims to bark like dogs before murdering them. This is the October 7th of the Druze minority in Syria, and it’s simply astonishing to witness the total silence of Western leadership.”

“Where is Emmanuel Macron? Where are the TV anchors who spend 24/7 obsessing over the Palestinians? Where are António Guterres and Francesca Albanese, those tireless champions of human rights—suddenly nowhere to be found?

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)