Syria: Netanyahu’s push for military-free south met with anger

Syrians in the south have staged demonstrations against Israel’s territorial expansion and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks restricting Syrian military movements, Middle East Eye reports.

The protests erupted after Netanyahu declared that Syria’s armed forces would not be allowed to advance south of Damascus.

During his speech on February 23rd, Netanyahu stated, “We will not allow HTS forces or the new Syrian army to enter the area south of Damascus,” referring to Syria’s government and the former rebel group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.

He also called for the full demilitarisation of Quneitra, Daraa, and Sweida.

In Syria, his statements sparked pervasive outrage, especially in the south, amid ongoing Israeli advances.

“I think that he’s an opportunist and he is trying to take advantage of this moment in which he seems to have [US President Donald] Trump’s ear, along with the support of extremists in the American administration to weaken the new Syria,” said Robin Yassin-Kassab, an expert on the Syrian conflict, speaking to Middle East Eye.

Amidst these accusations, Syria’s Foreign Minister has stressed that the nation’s hard-won sovereignty remains uncompromised—even as external pressures mount—emphasizing that the recent liberation from past regime is the foundation of Syria’s resistance to interference.

Netanyahu also made a direct appeal to Syria’s Druze community, suggesting a commitment to their protection.

“We will not tolerate any threat to the Druze community in southern Syria,” he claimed.

However, his sentiments have not garnered support from the group. Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, a prominent Druze leader, has previously denounced Israel’s military actions, which escalated following the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad.

“Druze people want to remain in their lands with privacy, but this has become an international matter,” he said, stressing that Israel’s occupation must be addressed globally.

Yassin-Kassab accused Netanyahu of trying to divide Syria by using the Druze as a pretext to create fractures, arguing, “He’s creating a situation that doesn’t exist.”

On February 24th, Syrians assembled in public squares across the affected provinces to reject demilitarisation.

In Daraa, protesters chanted, “Netanyahu, you pig, Syria is not for division,” while demonstrators in Sweida carried banners rejecting Israeli interference.

One sign read, “The people of Sweida are part of Syria and will accept nothing but the Syrian state. The Syrian law is their protector and the guarantor of their rights.”

In Quneitra, where much of the territory has been occupied by Israel since 1967, residents reaffirmed their loyalty to Syria.

Adding to the picture of Israel’s broader expansionist agenda, a recent tender for nearly 1,000 new settler homes in the occupied West Bank underscores the government’s efforts to reshape territory on multiple fronts.

Yassin-Kassab described Netanyahu’s attempt to block Syrian forces from moving south as “extremely appalling,” arguing that it places Syria’s government in a difficult position, similar to how Israel treats Hezbollah.

Since its ceasefire with Hezbollah in November, Israel has continued to carry out strikes in southern Lebanon, claiming to target the group.

In Syria, it has frequently attacked military bases, vehicles, and equipment since Assad’s fall.

Middle East Eye