Protests erupted across southern Syria in response, with civilians condemning Netanyahu’s remarks as interference in Syrian sovereignty. Demonstrators called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the buffer zone along the Syrian border and rejected any foreign military presence in the region.

By bnm Gulf bureau bnm Gulf bureau Fresh clashes south of Damascus between local Druze and government forces suggest the community may be laying groundwork for a semi-autonomous or fully independent non-Islamic statelet before Damascus manages to create a new government.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the military to “prepare to defend” the Druze inhabitants of Jaramana city near Syria’s capital Damascus. This comes in a new escalation by Netanyahu's government against the new administration in Syria, which is demanding an end to the ongoing Israeli violations of the country's sovereignty.

Instruction comes as new Syrian government authorities clash with local Druze gunmen in Jaramana, just outside capital The post Netanyahu and Katz direct IDF to ‘prepare to defend’ Syrian Druze suburb of Damascus appeared first on The Times of Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the IDF on Saturday evening to prepare to defend a Druze village in Syria which is currently under attack by Syrian forces."We will not allow the terrorist regime of radical Islam in Syria to harm the Druze," they said in a statement. "If the regime harms the Druze, it will be harmed by us.""We are committed to our Druze brothers in Israel to do everything to prevent harm to their Druze brothers in Syria, and we will take all necessary steps to maintain their security."

Saturday’s statement indicates that Israeli forces could push farther into Syria as its new authorities try to consolidate control after more than a decade of civil war.