Israel is engaged in negotiations for a prisoner exchange between the Druze and Bedouin communities in Syria, with hundreds expected to be released in the coming days
A senior Israeli official is in contact with the Druze, while American intermediaries are negotiating with the Bedouin and the Syrian regime.
The recent clashes in the Syrian city of Sweden have reinforced Israel’s position that it needs to maintain control over a security zone (called a buffer zone) in the neighboring country, at least for now.
This is likely to raise fears that Islamist groups could plan attacks against Israeli communities.
It is estimated that hundreds of prisoners are being held by both sides.
According to the Israel Hayom newspaper, the negotiations involve Israel supporting the Druze and the United States mediating with the Bedouin.
The goal is for all prisoners to be released soon.
Israeli officials maintain that Israel’s primary interest at the moment is to reduce its efforts in Syria, though they believe any calm will be temporary.
They emphasize that recent episodes of violence in Sweden demonstrate the importance of Israel maintaining a military presence in the region, which it seized in December 2024. According to these officials, Israeli intelligence failed to predict attacks against the Druze, first by Syrian regime forces and then by Bedouin fighters.
Similarly, there is no guarantee that Israel would detect plans by Islamist groups to attack Israeli cities.
Since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, Israel’s political and defense leadership has reinforced the need to maintain security zones along all its borders to protect nearby communities.
Published in 07/24/2025 01h15
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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