Netanyahu, Katz instruct Israeli army to 'defend' Syria's Jaramana

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen English
1 Mar 2025 22:24
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The Israeli occupation has claimed that Syrian regime forces are attacking Jaramana, prompting the mobilization of the occupation military.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, occupied Palestine, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025 (AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Security Minister, Israel Katz, instructed the Israeli occupation forces to prepare to "defend" Jaramana in the Syrian capital Damascus' suburbs.

On Saturday, a statement issued by Netanyahu claimed that "Jaramana was under attack by the Syrian regime's forces," adding "We will not allow the terroristic Islamic extremist regime in Syria to harm the Druze community. If it were harmed, then we will harm it [the regime] back."

The Security Minister's media office also issued a statement, claiming "We are committed to our Druze brothers in Israel to do everything in our power to prevent harm to their Druze brethren in Syria, and we will take all necessary steps to ensure their security."

Currently, a security campaign is underway in Jaramana to track down wanted individuals following the killing of a member of the General Security Department at Syria's Interior Ministry.

This comes after local sources told Al Mayadeen that clashes erupted between General Security forces and armed groups in Jaramana, in the Damascus countryside, earlier on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the clashes resulted in one death and 10 injuries.

'Israel' actively lobbying US to maintain Syria weak, divided: Reuters

Reuters on Friday revealed that "Israel" is actively lobbying the US to maintain Syria in a weakened and divided state, promoting a strategy that allows Russia to keep its military bases in the country. According to four sources familiar with the discussions, "Israel" views Russia's continued presence as a way to counter Turkey's growing influence, which "Israel" perceives as a threat to its expansionist agenda.

Amidst the war on Gaza, tensions between "Israel" and Turkiye have escalated, particularly as Turkiye backs Syria's new Islamist leadership, which emerged following the deposition of Bashar al-Assad. Israeli officials have been pressuring the US to maintain harsh sanctions on Syria, aimed at preventing the stabilization of the new leadership and ensuring Syria remains fragmented.

According to three US sources and another individual involved in the discussions, "Israel" presented its demands during meetings in Washington in February. These views were reiterated during meetings in occupied Palestine with US Congressional representatives. Two sources noted that "Israel" also distributed a "white paper" to select senior US officials, outlining its strategy for keeping Syria weak.

"Israel's big fear is that Turkey comes in and protects this new Syrian Islamist order, which then ends up being a base for Hamas and other militants," said Aron Lund, a fellow at the US-based think tank Century International.