Druze Cheer Israeli Troops as IDF Pushes Into Syria’s Mount Hermon

Israeli ground forces were filmed advancing on the Syrian slopes of Mount Hermon on 17 July, where they were greeted by Druze fighters and civilians chanting “Welcome, army” and calling for the downfall of Syrian President al-Sharaa. Some in the crowd shouted, “The people want the regime to fall,” underscoring the minority community’s longstanding hostility toward Damascus. The rare public show of support came after Israeli air and artillery strikes earlier in the week against Islamist regime positions in southern Syria. Local reports indicate the operation compelled units loyal to Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham commander Abu Mohammad al-Jolani to pull back, enabling Druze militias to assume control of nearby villages. The Israel Defense Forces and the Syrian government have not commented, and the scale or duration of Israel’s presence inside Syria remains unconfirmed.