On Friday night, IDF and Israel Border Police forces operated to disperse a violent gathering consisting of dozens of Israeli civilians across the border with Syria.
After the gathering, the civilians crossed the border fence into Syrian territory in the Majdal Shams area, while acting violently toward the forces.
"The IDF strongly condemns all violence of any kind against IDF personnel and the security forces and views such incidents with utmost severity, and emphasizes that crossing the border to Syria constitutes a criminal offense and endangers the public, as well as IDF soldiers," a statement stressed.
"The forces continue to operate to safely return the civilians who crossed the border."
Fierce fighting broke out Friday in Syria’s Druze-majority Sweida region as armed Bedouin tribal factions, backed by Syria’s Islamist-led interim government, clashed with local Druze fighters at the city’s entrance, AFP reported.
The confrontation follows the Syrian army’s Thursday withdrawal from Sweida after Israeli airstrikes and intense diplomatic pressure. Following the latest outburst, Syria’s government announced on Friday evening that it will redeploy forces to the area.
The conflict has already claimed at least 638 lives since Sunday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). The United Nations has demanded an end to the "bloodshed" and an "independent, prompt and transparent investigation into all violations." UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk emphasized that "the protection of all people must be the utmost priority."
Renewed hostilities erupted as some 200 tribal fighters engaged Druze combatants in street-level exchanges using machine guns and shells, while shelling struck city neighborhoods, SOHR and AFP reported.
The International Committee for the Red Cross warned: "Health facilities are overwhelmed, medical supplies are dwindling and power cuts are impeding the preservation of human remains in overflowing morgues." Stephan Sakalian, ICRC’s Syria chief, described the situation as "critical. People are running out of everything."
The renewed outbreak of violence marks the bloodiest escalation since Druze protests and military clashes in April-May around Sweida and Damascus, which left more than 100 dead.