Israeli Druze citizens demonstrated at multiple places in northern Israel today (Tuesday) to call on the Israeli government to protect the Syrian Druze population following recent attacks by Syrian government forces.

Videos posted to social media show demonstrators blocking roads and burning tires. Small demonstrations have been reported in the towns of Shfaram and Rameh, as well as on Route 6, where both sides of the road were blocked.

Earlier today, in response to the Syrian regime’s attacks on Druze communities in Suwayda, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the IDF to immediately strike regime forces and weaponry that had entered the Suwayda region—an area that, under Israel's demilitarization policies, was to remain free of troops and arms to prevent threats to Israel.

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have directed the IDF to immediately attack the regime forces and the weaponry that entered the Sweida area of the Druze Mountain in Syria, and that the regime intended to use against the Druze - which was done in contravention of the demilitarization policy they decided on, of preventing the entry of forces and weaponry that endangers Israel in the southern region of Syria," Netanyahu and Katz said in a statement.

"Israel is committed to preventing harm being inflicted on the Druze in Syria, owing to the deep covenant of blood with our Druze citizens in Israel and their historical and familial link to the Druze in Syria. We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them, and to ensure the demilitarization of the region adjacent to our border with Syria."

This follows yesterday evening’s (Monday) identification of Syrian regime convoys, including armored personnel carriers and tanks, moving toward the area of As-Suwayda in southern Syria.

Subsequently, the IDF struck several armored fighting vehicles consisting of tanks, APCs, and MLRS, as well as access roads, in order to disrupt the convoys' arrival to the area.