18.8.25
Again, exchange of fire between Bedouin and Druze gunmen at the entrance to the city of As-Suwayda. Syrian government forces “disguised” themselves as Bedouins to reignite the conflict!
The influx of Sunni jihadists pouring into southern Syria from across the country to massacre the Druze only confirms: Syria is beyond repair. It is a chaotic mess that can only be resolved if each minority governs its own territory. A central regime that permits massacres—and in many cases even participates in them—is a fast track to the destruction of the Syrian capital by Syrians or external forces. Regardless of the outcome, Israel will inevitably be blamed for it.
The special envoy for captives of the Trump administration, Adam Boehler, said at the ASPEN Security Conference: “A deal in Gaza is possible, but Hamas is very stubborn.” Boehler added that “a deal is much closer now,” but it may not be realized because of Hamas.
IDF: An initial inquiry into reports regarding injured individuals in the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, suggests that fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly. The cause of the incident is under review.
GAZA—Parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli photographed saying mass, this evening, inside Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza. Despite early reports circling on social media, the church was not destroyed.
“What happened in Syria? They raped a 5-year-old girl. They entered a holy place where women were hiding, and burned them alive. They killed, beheaded, it was pure cleansing. This is only because they are Druze and do not believe as they do.” Druze leader Sheikh Muwafaq Tarif
The Syrian Tribal Council announced a general mobilization to aid the Bedouins against the Druze. Convoys are making their way to Suwayda. The Syrian Tribal Council, which supports the regime of Abu Muhammad al-Julani (composed of Bedouin and Arab Sunni tribes), published a proclamation calling on all tribes across Syria to mobilize against the Druze in the south.
The Druze are a small Middle Eastern religious sect, known as muwaḥḥidūn (“unitarians”), with over 1,000,000 members primarily in Lebanon, Syria, and Israel. Originating in Egypt as an offshoot of Ismaʿīlī Shiʿism in the 11th century, the Druze faith emerged when theologians proclaimed the Fatimid caliph al-Ḥākim as divine, leading to conflict and persecution. The movement, named after al-Darāzī despite his excommunication, survived in Syria and Lebanon under leaders like Ḥamzah and al-Muqtanā. The Druze maintain a close-knit identity, prohibit conversion, discourage interfaith marriage, and keep many religious practices secret, with only an elite group, the ʿuqqāl, accessing their sacred teachings.
Continue reading Israel 2025 →