Khaberni - The Washington Post, quoting Israeli, Western, and Kurdish officials, reported that Israel has provided continuous military and financial support to the Hijri forces in Syria since December 2024, which has included sending weapons, paying monthly salaries, and exchanging intelligence information through channels including the Syrian Democratic Forces.
According to the report, Israel began sending weapons to the Hijri forces on December 17, 2024, and military support continues to this day, Israeli officials confirmed to the newspaper.
Monthly Salaries
The sources added that Israel paid monthly salaries ranging from 100 to 200 dollars to about 3,000 members of the Hijri forces.
An Israeli official stated that Tel Aviv transferred $24,000 to Tariq Al-Shoufi, a commander affiliated with the former Syrian regime, via SDF.
Israeli officials also said that the SDF transferred about half a million dollars to the Hijri forces as part of this process.
The report quoted a Kurdish official saying that the SDF continues to train fighters from the Druze community in northeastern Syria to this day.
Druze State Project
In the same context, a Western official indicated that the Hijri prepared maps for a Druze state project that extends geographically to Iraq.
On the other hand, an Israeli official told the newspaper that the creation of an independent Druze state, described as "Druzestan," "is not in Israel's interest," while at the same time confirming that Israeli policy towards the Druze in Syria "has not yet been finalized."
Anti-tank Missiles
The newspaper also quoted a commander in the Hijri forces saying that they acquired anti-tank missiles from the SDF, in addition to Israeli support in the form of providing them with satellite images during battles against the Syrian government forces.
The report concludes that this support occurs within a complex network of relationships and undisclosed communications, while Israeli sources confirm that Tel Aviv has not yet settled on a clear and definitive policy regarding the Druze in Syria amidst rapidly evolving field and political developments.
Violent Clashes
Previously, on July 13, As-Suwayda witnessed violent clashes that lasted a week between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes, leading to government security forces intervening to halt the confrontations, while nearly 200,000 people were displaced due to the conflict, according to UN estimates.
However, since July 19, the province has experienced a ceasefire following the deadly clashes that left hundreds dead, with a tentative return of displaced people beginning.
