While some Druze leaders have urged accommodation with Damascus, others have come out strongly against Sharaa, notably Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajari, who urged resistance to government forces and appealed to world leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during this week's violence.

Hundreds of Druze from Israel pushed across the border in solidarity with their Syrian cousins they feared were under attack. Many then met relatives never seen before.

The Syrian government withdrew its forces from Druze-dominated areas in the south on Wednesday after several days of heavy fighting, declaring a ceasefire in the process. Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sha

More than 1,000 Israeli Druze crossed the Syrian border to defend their community, and many want Israel to launch a military operation. Several Israeli ministers have issued inflammatory statements against the new Syrian regime led by former jihadist Ahmad al-Sharaa.

SANA says women and children among those killed by armed groups following withdrawal of government forces in Sweida

The Druze, a small but significant religious minority, straddle the complex political landscape of Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan. Their influence is notable in regional politics, amid rising violence in Syria.

An AFP photographer counted 15 bodies on the street in the centre of Sweida today after government forces pulled out. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has said more than 370 people have been killed in sectarian clashes in the city since Sunday.