DAMASCUS (Reuters) -Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa accused Israel of trying to fracture Syria and promised to protect its Druze minority on Thursday, after U.S. intervention helped end deadly fighting between government forces and Druze fighters in the south.

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.

About 500 people killed in clashes, according to UK war monitor; AFP photographer counts 15 bodies strewn in city center amid looted shops and burned cars and houses

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

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.

Army says there were no further crossings overnight, is working to patch up holes in fence; Kurdish official urges Sharaa to rethink approach to minorities