As the new Syrian state works to restore order in Sweida, a predominantly Druze province, “Israel” has revealed its intention to open a corridor to the area in southern Syria.

Scenes of killings and the displacement of Bedouin families from rural Sweida by militias loyal to Hikmat al-Hijri on July 17, 2025, prompted tens of thousands of tribal fighters from across Syria to mobilize toward the city.

Hikmat al-Hijri, the head of the Druze religious authority in Syria’s Sweida province, has begun openly expressing his intention to isolate the region and keep any emerging entity beyond the control of the central government.

Druze leader Hikmat al-Hijri’s appeal for Israeli and U.S. intervention in Sweida has deepened Syria’s internal rifts, triggered Israeli strikes, and drawn sharp rebuke as a betrayal of national unity.

"Tel Aviv’s" airstrikes and threats if Syria didn’t pull its troops from Sweida—and its move to portray itself as the protector of southern Syria—revealed a broader Israeli plan to reshape the regional order through minority groups.