• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Statement by Prime Minister Netanyahu

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

Media Statements
The 37th Government
17.07.2025

Statement by Prime Minister Netanyahu

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
"I would like to brief you on what we have done in Syria, and what we are going to do in Syria.

We have set forth a clear policy: demilitarization of the region to south of Damascus, from the Golan Heights and to the Druze Mountain area. That's rule number one. Rule number two is protecting the brothers of our brothers, the Druze at the Druze Mountain.

Both those rules were broken by the regime in Damascus. The regime sent troops south of Damascus, into the region that has to be demilitarized, and began slaughtering the Druze. That we could not accept in any way, and I therefore directed the IDF to take action — and take powerful action. The Air Force attacked both the gangs of murderers and the armored vehicles. I added another target, to also attack the Ministry of Defense in Damascus.

As a result of that powerful action, a ceasefire came into force, and the Syrian forces retreated back to Damascus. That is important.

This is a ceasefire that was reached through strength. Not by making requests, not by begging — through strength. We are reaching peace through strength, quiet through strength, security through strength — on seven fronts.

That will also be our policy going forward — we will not allow Syrian army forces to enter the region south of Damascus, and will not allow any harm to the Druze at the Druze Mountain.

I would like to share with you something that touched me deeply over the past two days. I received a message from Sheikh Muafak Tarif, the leader of the Druze community in Israel. He told me the following: "During the Holocaust, when you were being slaughtered, you, the Jews, cried for help and no one came. Today we, the Druze, are being slaughtered and we are calling for the help of the State of Israel".

I told him that he's right.
We have taken action, and we will continue to take action as necessary".