JERUSALEM, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Israel said on Thursday it had delivered 10,000 packages of humanitarian aid to the Druze community in Syria.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said in a statement that he had instructed his ministry to send the aid, signaling another show of support for the Druze minority in Syria. "We have a bold alliance with our Druze brothers. It is a privilege to help them," Sa'ar said.
Video footage and photos published by the ministry showed trucks being loaded and then crossing the Israeli border towards Syria.
The packages, containing oil, salt, flour, sugar, rice, pasta, and other basic food products, have been delivered over the past weeks, according to the statement. Most were sent to Jabal al-Druze in the As-Suwayda Governorate of southern Syria, while some were delivered to the Druze people near the border.
"The operation was coordinated with Druze community leader Sheikh Muafak Tarif, the Druze Religious Council, the Israel Defense Forces, and others in the region," the ministry said.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that Israel would issue work permits for Syrian Druze citizens to work in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Druze people primarily live in Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, with smaller groups in Jordan. Israel has been working to solidify ties with the Druze community since expanding its territorial control near the border with Syria and in Golan Heights following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's government in December 2024.
Earlier this month, following an outbreak of unrest between security forces and local gunmen in the Druze area of Syria's Jaramana, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Katz ordered military troops to defend the Druze population there, vowing to take "all necessary steps" for their safety. ■
