Israel creates new army post to 'liaise' with Druze in Lebanon and Syria

Israel has established a new military role focused on outreach to Druze communities in Lebanon and Syria, Israeli media reported on Wednesday, a move that reflects a broader strategy of fragmenting neighbouring countries by engaging minority groups beyond its borders.

Major General Ghassan Alian, an Israeli-Druze officer, whose five-year tenure as the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories has now ended, will move to the recently created Druze outreach position, Israel's Channel 12 reported.

Alian will serve as a coordinator within the army's Northern Command, tasked with liaising with Druze communities across the region, including in Lebanon and Syria, the report said, which follows collaboration between Israel and some Druze militias in the southern Syrian province of Suweida.

During his farewell address as Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Alian referred to the Israeli army's failure on 7 October 2023, saying that alongside pride in his service, he had felt "deep pain and embarrassment as an officer and commander over the systemic failure" on that day, as he was replaced by retired Police Commissioner Yoram Helavi.

"As an army, we did not fulfil our fundamental obligation to ensure the protection of residents of the Gaza periphery and the state as a whole," he said.

The creation of a new post for Alian, himself a member of the Druze community, comes as Israel reiterates claims that it is committed to "protecting" his coreligionists in Syria, where brutal clashes have broken out between local militias and pro-Damascus forces since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.

Some argue the move fits within a longer-standing policy of exploiting internal divisions and encouraging fragmentation in neighbouring states, particularly through minorities, which comes at a sensitive moment in Syria, as the government seeks to unify the country and end over a decade of war.

In recent months, a small faction linked to controversial Druze cleric Hikmat al-Hijri has openly aligned itself with Israel, publicly calling for Israeli backing and autonomy for the Druze-majority province from Damascus.

Israel has reinforced these separatist narratives that aim at the creation of a pro-Israel entity in southern Syria, within striking distance of Damascus, by arming Druze militias and launching air strikes on Syrian government forces.

In December, Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that plans were underway to establish a hospital in southern Syria close to the border of the occupied Golan Heights intended primarily for Druze residents, continuing Israel's policy of using medical facilities to influence the situation in Syria.

The facility would host 250 beds and cost an estimated $3 million, serving residents of Suweida and other Druze towns in southern Syria.

Israel currently operates a clinic under the supervision of the army's medical corps, which it says will provide medical assistance to Syrians there.

The security establishment has broadly supported such initiatives, arguing that medical aid and civilian support could help stabilise the area and prevent violence driven by sectarian or nationalist tensions.