Jordan’s Bedouin tribal council issued a sharp statement on Sunday, warning Israel of severe consequences if the IDF violates the ceasefire and re-enters southern Syria to support Druze communities. The council threatened to confront Israeli Druze or IDF representatives entering southern Syrian villages, particularly in the Sweida region, where intense fighting against Druze residents took place.
The statement follows reports of Israeli Druze crossing into Druze villages in southern Golan Heights, while Jordan, refusing even humanitarian aid to Syria, expressed “full solidarity” with Bedouin tribes attacking Druze communities.
On Saturday, Jordanian Bedouins encountered a blockade of vehicles near the Syrian border, stationed for hours to prevent access to the crossing near Daraa. Jordanian authorities informed them the passage was prohibited, forcing their retreat. Meanwhile, Jordan’s Foreign Ministry issued a strong rebuke, accusing Israel of violating international agreements.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, a Druze, met with U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani. Barrack praised Jordan’s “exemplary conduct” in urging all Syrian parties to reach agreements and halt violence.
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Safadi questioned the presence of Israeli forces in Syrian territory and why Israel allows its Druze citizens to cross the Golan Heights border into Syrian towns and villages. A senior Jordanian diplomatic source claimed Israel seeks to sow discord among Syrians, aiming to fragment the country into regions controlled by different ethnic groups.
The IDF estimates that a few, possibly dozens, of those who crossed the border last week have not returned, with some potentially heading to conflict zones in Sweida. Efforts are underway to calm hundreds of Druze IDF veterans on inactive reserve status, who signed a petition vowing to join their relatives fighting in Sweida if the ceasefire collapses.