A car bomb in the border village of Hader, which is populated by members of the Syrian Druze minority – many of whom have relatives in the Jewish state – has raised alarm in Israel. The car bomb, which claimed the lives of nine people and wounded 23 others, prompted clashes between the al-Qaeda linked Hay’et Tahrir al Sham – formerly known as the Nusra Front – and the Syrian military that protects the village. The incident, which took place on Friday, prompted Druze residents of Israel to gather near the border-fence in show of support for the people of Hader, with some of them attempting to cross into Syria, but were held back by IDF troops. A resident of the Israeli Druze village of Beit Jann declared that the Druze citizens of Israel are willing to pick-up arms if the Israeli military would allow them to assist their brothers and sisters in the Syrian village of Hader.
In an effort to calm the Druze citizens of Israel, a small minority in the Jewish state that is hailed for its loyalty and has senior representatives in both the IDF and the government including a Minister and several generals, Jerusalem announced that it is prepared protect the residents of the village of Hader. The announcement followed by a statement by the Israeli military in which it said, “The IDF is prepared and ready to assist the residents of the village and prevent damage to or the capture of the village Hader out of commitment to the Druze population.” This was the first time that Israel has openly declared that it would invade Syria, a threat that prompted an immediate retreat from the Jihadists fighting the Syrian military with the aim of capturing the Syrian border region with Israel.