Syria's Sharaa vows to protect Druze rights
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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 cross the barbed-wire frontier.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed recent airstrikes on Syrian territory, targeting the Ministry of Defence due to violations in a demilitarised zone and attacks on the Druze community.
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.
Israel has been carrying out strikes on Syria since the fall of the Assad regime last December. This week saw a major escalation, when Israel said it attacked Syria to protect the Druze, an Arab minority at the center of clashes with government loyalists.
Syria's defense minister has announced a ceasefire just hours after government forces entered a key city in the volatile Sweida province.