While some Druze leaders have urged accommodation with Damascus, others have come out strongly against Sharaa, notably Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajari, who urged resistance to government forces and appealed to world leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during this week's violence.

Dozens of Druze crowded the Israeli-controlled side of the armistice line in the occupied Golan Heights on Thursday, hoping to catch a glimpse of relatives on the Syrian-held side who might try to

Hundreds of Druze from Israel pushed across the border in solidarity with their Syrian cousins they feared were under attack. Many then met relatives never seen before.

The Druze, a small but significant religious minority, straddle the complex political landscape of Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan. Their influence is notable in regional politics, amid rising violence in Syria.

More than 1,000 Israeli Druze crossed the Syrian border to defend their community, and many want Israel to launch a military operation. Several Israeli ministers have issued inflammatory statements against the new Syrian regime led by former jihadist Ahmad al-Sharaa.

SANA says women and children among those killed by armed groups following withdrawal of government forces in Sweida