The Druze of Syria—numbering under one million—have historically maintained a delicate balance between cooperation and quiet resistance to the Assad regime. Suwayda has been one of the few regions to avoid full-scale regime control during the civil war. However, recent economic protests and growing demands for autonomy have made it a flashpoint.

President Ahmed al-Shara said the airstrike on Damascus threatened to escalate sectarian violence, in his sharpest criticism of Israel since he came to power.