February 14, 2026

Israel Syria War

More Christian Druze Slaughtered, including Entire Family

pgnewser July 28, 2025

Horror in Syria: Christian Pastor, Entire Family Slaughtered Amid Chaos and Violence– www.cbn.com
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Excerpt:

Joel Veldkamp, head of international communications at Christian Solidarity International (CSI), told CBN News that Syrian government forces have gone after these groups, killing innocents in the process.

The most recent incursion unfolded last week and had deadly consequences.

“Syrian government forces have once again launched an attack on religious minority populations — this time against the Druze, a religious group which makes up about 3% of Syria’s population, and who are considered heretics by jihadist groups,” CSI wrote in a statement. “Between July 14 and July 18, Syria’s Islamist-controlled government sent troops to occupy Suwayda province, a mountainous region of southern Syria where the majority of the population is Druze. Upon entering population centers in the province, government troops carried out numerous atrocities.”

This violence might not have been limited only to the Druze population. While details are still unclear about motives and precise details, Khaled Mazhar, the pastor of the Good Shepherd Evangelical Church in Suwayda city, was killed alongside 11 other family members.

“We’re still putting together the details on what exactly happened, but we know that Pastor Khaled Mazhar was attacked by armed fighters sometime last week in Soweda City,” Veldkamp said. “He, and his wife, and his children, and several other of his relatives — 12 people in all — were all killed. And there’s a 13th person who survived only because they thought that she was dead, basically.”

 

New Syrian Government Commitment to Slaughter Druze Could Lead to New Civil War

pgnewser July 25, 2025

Exclusive: Who are Syria’s Druze and why are they under attack?– www.euronews.com
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Excerpt:

The new authorities in Damascus have largely been met with a cautious sigh of relief by the international community.

Al-Sharaa has met with leaders from Western powers, including the UK, the EU and the US. Donald Trump even called the new president “handsome”.

What followed was the lifting of many crippling sanctions that were imposed on the Assad regime for crimes against the Syrian people. Today, 90% of the population still lives below the poverty line, and the economy hangs by a thread.

Although many have lauded al-Sharaa for providing stability to a country ravaged by over a decade of war, Syria has endured multiple eruptions of interethnic violence, notably in early March when Alawite communities were massacred in coastal regions.

While al-Sharaa at the time called for calm and promised an independent investigation into claims that government-affiliated forces initiated what one commentator called the “orgy of violence,” many believe the president was complicit.

“They asked (the Alawites) to hand over weapons,” the Suwayda resident said during their interview. “When the weapons were handed over, and the Syrian coastal area became isolated … they attacked and committed terrible massacres against humanity.”

“The entire villages were killed and exterminated. Houses and houses were burned.”

Sheikh Hikmat agreed, adding, “They use a local group to stir up strife, and then they carry out mass killings against their opponents.”

 

Israel Protects Christians in Syria with Damascus Strikes

Israel Protects Christians in Syria with Damascus Strikes

pgnewser July 17, 2025

Israeli forces once again came to the aid of the Druze, a Christian community in Damascus, after it claimed the alleged ceasefire between the Druze and the government hasn’t really materialized. The latest strikes destroyed the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff Headquarters in Damascus. Druze militias have used the opportunity to push the government out of their communities amid talks of a separatist movement forming among them.

The IDF made this official statement: “Over the past day, the IDF has struck and continues to strike tanks, rocket launchers, weapons, and pickup trucks loaded with heavy machine guns on their way to the As Suwayda area in southern Syria… The IDF continues to monitor developments and the regime’s actions against Druze civilians in southern Syria. In accordance with directives from the political echelon, the IDF is striking in the area and remains prepared for various scenarios.”

Israel pummels Damascus as sectarian fighting escalates in country’s south– www.washingtonexaminer.com
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Excerpt:

Israel expanded airstrikes against Damascus on Wednesday after a fragile ceasefire in southern Syria collapsed.

Though announced by Damascus on Tuesday, the ceasefire between the Druze and government forces doesn’t appear to have ever truly taken effect, with heavy fighting continuing all throughout the previous day. Druze militias, backed by increasing Israeli airstrikes, counterattacked and pushed government forces out of the Druze stronghold of Suwayda. Israel Defense Forces airstrikes escalated on Wednesday, devastating government buildings in Damascus.

In a statement, the IDF confirmed that it hit the entrance of the Syrian Ministry of Defense headquarters in Damascus. A news broadcast captured the moment the building was hit.

Israel followed up the strikes with a second, much larger round shortly after, hitting Ahmed al-Sharaa’s Presidential Palace and completely destroying the MoD headquarters.