Israel Intervenes in Syria: The Druze Massacre, Jihadist Rule, and a New Middle East Crisis
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Israel Intervenes in Syria: The Druze Massacre, Jihadist Rule, and a New Middle East Crisis
How the fall of Bashar al-Assad gave rise to jihadist control in Syriaâand why Israel is bombing again.
đ¸đž The Fall of Assad and Rise of Al-Qaeda-Linked Rule
In December 2024, the Assad regimeâlong a pillar of Iran-backed stability in Syriaâcollapsed. Years of civil war, sanctions, and the withdrawal of Russian support due to the Ukraine conflict brought the Ba'athist government to an end.
But what came next wasn't peace.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani, a former commander of Jabhat al-Nusra (Al-Qaedaâs Syrian branch), emerged as Syriaâs new de facto leader. His faction rebranded itself as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham and now controls much of the war-torn nation.
Western media often refers to him as a âmoderate rebel.â Israel and many analysts disagreeâpointing to his long jihadist record, use of chemical weapons, and close ties to foreign terrorist networks.
đ§đ˝ Who Are the Druzeâand Why Are They Being Killed?
The Druze are an ancient monotheistic minority spread across southern Syria, northern Israel, and Lebanon. Historically secretive and self-reliant, they are fiercely loyal to their kin.
In Suwayda, a city in southern Syria near the Israeli border, Druze communities are under brutal assault.
Over 900 Druze civilians have been killed in recent days
Entire families executed in their homes
Armed groupsâallegedly Bedouin militias and jihadist proxiesâare looting, burning, and shooting in the streets
These actions appear coordinated and systematic. Israeli intelligence sources suspect the new Syrian regime is either complicit or outright responsible.
đŽđą Why Israel Is Bombing Syria Again
On the heels of these atrocities, Israel launched airstrikes on the Syrian Ministry of Defense in Damascus and repositioned its 91st military division from Gaza to the Golan Heights.
Israel's official line: âWe will not allow ethnic cleansing of the Druze on our border.â
With 120,000 Druze citizens inside Israel, many of whom serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), this is more than humanitarian. Itâs deeply personal and strategic.
Israel fears the consolidation of a jihadist-led government on its northern frontierâa regime that once coordinated with ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and foreign fighters from Chechnya, Libya, and Afghanistan.
đşđ¸ U.S. Policy Confusion: Supporting the âModeratesâ?
Ironically, the U.S. appears to be supporting the same regime Israel is attacking. For over a decade, Washington provided covert aidâoften through CIA-backed ârat linesâ from Libya to Turkeyâto arm rebel groups in Syria.
Many of these âmoderate rebelsâ turned out to be radical Islamist factions.
According to award-winning journalist Seymour Hersh, U.S. and Turkish intelligence knowingly enabled the production of sarin gas used in false flag operations to trigger U.S. intervention against Assad in 2013.
Today, the successor of these very same groups now governs Syria. And Washingtonâs silence is deafening.
đĽ Sectarian Fault Lines: Sunnis, Shiites, Druze, and Christians
The Syrian crisis is not just geopoliticalâitâs religious and ethnic.
The Alawites, Assad's sect, have been massacred in Latakia
Christians in Damascus have been bombed by suicide attackers
Now, the Druze are being hunted in Suwayda
Radical Sunni militias view these groups as heretics or infidels. The risk is real: if these jihadist factions gain full control, they could turn their attention to Lebanon, Iraq, or even Jordan, destabilizing the entire region.
Israelâs bombing campaign is not just about border securityâit's about preventing another ISIS-style nightmare on its doorstep.
đ˘ď¸ Pipelines, Profits, and Power
Geopolitics lurks behind the chaos.
Before the war, Qatarâs proposed gas pipeline through Syria to Europe was blocked by Assad to protect Russiaâs energy dominance. With Assad gone, Western-backed corporationsâlike Baker Hughes, Hunter Energy, and Argent LNGâare now entering Syria to rebuild the oil and gas sector.
UAE companies are bidding to rebuild Tartus Port. Russia is negotiating to maintain its naval base.
This is not just about democracy or reformâitâs about energy corridors, business deals, and controlling the post-war reconstruction.
đ§ Final Take: A Dangerous Illusion of Reform
The Western narrative that âthe war is overâ and âreformists now rule Syriaâ masks a grim reality.
Abu Mohammad al-Julani was not reformedâhe merely swapped fatigues for suits
His regime is linked to past war crimes, including chemical weapons and sectarian massacres
Israel sees what the media and State Department wonât say: this is not peaceâitâs rebranding jihad
If the international community continues turning a blind eye, Israel may be forced to escalate militarilyânot just in Suwayda, but across Syriaâs south.
This article includes updated information about public court listings connected to Rafael Benavente. As is common in real estate and finance, legal records can appear online in ways that lack context or final outcomes. This post provides clarification.
By Rafael Benavente
If you enjoyed this, youâll also like my previous blog on the subjectâfind it here
Legal Record Update:
The case Decimal Capital Partners LLC vs Rafael Benavente, filed under number 2023-018206-CA-01, appears on multiple aggregator sites such as Trellis.law. This blog addresses whatâs often missing in those listingsâcontext, resolution, and the reality behind the legal headlines.