Netanyahu vows continued military action in southern Syria if needed

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel will continue using military force to enforce two key red lines in Syria: the demilitarization of the area south of Damascus near Israel's border, and the protection of the Druze minority in the region.

In a video statement, Netanyahu accused the Damascus government, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, of violating both red lines in recent days. "It sent an army south of Damascus, into the area that should be demilitarized, and it began to massacre the Druze. We could not accept this in any way," he said.

Netanyahu emphasized that a ceasefire announced by Sharaa in Syria's Druze-majority Sweida province – accompanied by a withdrawal of regime forces – was not the result of negotiations. He said it "was achieved through force. Not through requests, not through pleas - through force."

"We acted, and we will continue to act as necessary," Netanyahu said.

The violence in Sweida erupted on Sunday after armed members of a Bedouin tribe reportedly attacked and robbed a young Druze man near al-Masmiyah, along the Damascus-Sweida highway. The assault triggered a series of retaliatory kidnappings, which escalated into widespread clashes between local Druze fighters, government forces and Bedouin militias.

In response, Israel launched multiple airstrikes on Damascus and Sweida on Monday and Wednesday, claiming the strikes aimed to prevent further harm to the Druze community. Hours after Wednesday's airstrikes, a fragile ceasefire brokered between Syria's interim authorities and Druze spiritual leaders took effect.

Strong condemnation from the international community

Israel's military intervention has drawn sharp condemnation from the international community.

On Thursday, 11 Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the UAE, jointly condemned the Israeli strikes, warning that the attacks threatened Syria's sovereignty, stability and civilian safety. The statement, issued by the countries' foreign ministers, urged the international community to support Syria's reconstruction efforts and called on the UN Security Council to ensure Israel's full withdrawal from occupied Syrian territory, enforce UN Resolution 2766, and uphold the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.

The United States also voiced opposition against Israel's strikes in Syria. "The United States did not support recent Israeli strikes," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters.

Syrian interim authorities announced Thursday night that government troops had withdrawn from Sweida following a U.S.-Arab mediation effort. However, they accused local armed factions of violating the ceasefire and committing "horrific crimes" against civilians, although no details were provided.

Despite the withdrawal, the situation on the ground remains tense. Israeli warplanes reportedly launched a new airstrike near Sweida city on Thursday, just a day after targeting military and symbolic state sites in Damascus, according to Syria's state news agency SANA.

The death toll from the week's clashes in Sweida has climbed to nearly 600, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The group also warned of a deepening humanitarian crisis, as Bedouin families flee the province amid reports of intimidation, sectarian violence, and siege-like conditions.