Israel’s Defense Ministry announced on Sunday that it will permit Syrian Druze workers to cross into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria, though it did not specify when permits would be issued by the government.
The decision comes amid growing calls from the Druze community to facilitate cross-border movement for work and family reunification.
The Golan Heights is home to 24,000 Druze, an Arab minority who practice an offshoot of Islam and also live in Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria.
Many Druze in the region have long maintained cultural and economic ties with their counterparts across the border, despite the decades-long territorial dispute between Israel and Syria.
Israel captured most of the strategic plateau from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed it in 1981. While the U.S. views it as Israeli territory, most countries classify it as occupied.
The region remains a focal point of geopolitical tensions, particularly due to the presence of Iranian-backed militias and Hezbollah forces in Syria.
Many Syrian Druze workers were loyal to deposed President Bashar al-Assad, and a large number of families have relatives living in the Golan Heights.
The new policy allowing worker crossings is seen as a response to growing economic hardships in Syria, exacerbated by years of war and sanctions. Some analysts view it as part of Israel’s broader strategy to engage with minority groups in Syria to curb Iranian influence in the region.
The Israeli government has said Syria’s new leadership is a threat to Israel and has pledged to help protect minorities in Syria, including the Druze.
Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on Syria’s strategic weapons stockpiles and military infrastructure, claiming these operations aim to prevent their use by rebel groups that ousted Assad from parts of the country. Some of these groups, including those linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State, remain active in the region, raising security concerns for both Israel and the local Druze population.
(With inputs from Reuters)
