Sheikh Youssef Jarbou, the religious leader of the Druze community, has condemned Israel’s airstrikes on central Damascus — strikes which Israel claims were carried out to protect the Druze minority and to prevent the advance of hostile forces near its borders.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Jarbou stated: “Any attack on the Syrian government is an attack on the Druze community.”
Late Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that all parties, including Israel, have agreed to a ceasefire.
Jarbou said the agreement enjoys broad support in the southern Syrian city of Sweida, which has a Druze majority, and expressed hope that the Syrian government would overcome any efforts to disrupt the truce.