The clash on July 13 in Suwayda between Bedouin Arabs and militias affiliated with the Druze leader Hikmat al-Hijri, known for his ties to Israel, has brought about new realities not only in Syria but across the broader region.

The Suwayda incidents revealed that following the events of October 7, genocidal Israel having lost all strategic gains and rapidly becoming isolated from the international community has been left with no remaining viable cards to play except a small group of Druze and the YPG. Even these cards were squandered by Netanyahu in his desperate pursuit to remain in power. Israel has come to realize that even the United States no longer supports its attacks in Syria.

A Growing Atmosphere Against Israel in the Region

The massacres carried out by the Netanyahu government in Palestine and its attacks on neighboring countries have fostered a sense of unity across the Islamic world against Israel. Among Muslim nations, a belief has spread that Israel can only be restrained through power. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s call for a "Jerusalem Alliance" has resonated throughout the Islamic world. His proposal to rebuild the historical unity among Turks, Kurds, and Arabs the true proprietors of the region and to establish a new, peace-based order in the Middle East has been met with enthusiasm.

Israel’s Last Cards: The Druze and the Kurds

Realizing that a regional alliance against it has formed and that the Abraham Accords have lost their relevance, Israel has overtly resumed its role as protector of minority groups such as the Druze and Kurds, long considered components of its “Periphery Doctrine” since the 1950s.

In response to the Israeli threat and to reinforce national unity, Devlet Bahçeli, leader of Türkiye’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), issued a call for a “Terror-Free Türkiye,” which was positively received by PKK/KCK leader Abdullah Öcalan. Öcalan urged the organization to lay down arms and dissolve itself. This call was heeded, and the group began a process of disbanding, marked by the symbolic burning of their weapons on July 11. This move was largely welcomed among Kurds in Türkiye, Iraq, and Syria and dealt a significant blow to Israel’s doctrine, which had aimed to fragment the region through the instrumentalization of such groups.

Israel’s only remaining Kurdish card was the YPG within the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Tel Aviv encouraged the SDF, which had signed an integration agreement with the Damascus government on March 10, to disregard the agreement and continue demanding autonomy. The YPG, under the leadership of Mazloum Abdi and holding significant military power, has repeatedly declared that it would not accept being part of a unitary state.

Israel also activated its Druze card in Syria on July 13. In Suwayda, it encouraged the escalation of clashes between militias affiliated with the Israel-linked Druze leader Hikmat al-Hijri and Bedouin Arabs. Prime Minister Netanyahu stated, “We will not allow the deployment of forces to the south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community” and launched airstrikes on Syrian army personnel who had entered the city to halt the conflict and secure a ceasefire. Although the Damascus government reached an agreement with Druze notables and withdrew, Israel continued its aggression, carrying out airstrikes around the General Staff Headquarters and the Presidential Palace in Damascus on July 15–16.

During this period, the SDF/YPG in the north was seen expressing solidarity with the Druze against the Damascus government. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned the YPG, stating: “We are also receiving reports of YPG mobilization. Our message to them is do not take advantage of the current unrest to engage in undesirable actions. Do not further complicate the already sensitive and critical process in Syria. Play a constructive and stabilizing role. Otherwise, opportunism will bring great risk.”

Meanwhile, U.S. State Department spokesperson Bruce announced that the United States did not support Israel’s attacks.

Following the establishment of a ceasefire in Syria on July 17, the joint declaration signed by Türkiye and ten........

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