WATCH: Israeli flag raised in Syria after Netanyahu's warning - then set ablaze

Unusual footage circulated on social media last night (Monday to Tuesday), showing a man waving the Israeli flag in the main square in the city of Sweida in southern Syria. The act caused a storm, after which the flag was taken down by locals and set on fire.

The event took place a few days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed our forces to prepare to defend the Druze community of Jaramneh, which is located on the outskirts of Damascus. This followed an attack by Syrian regime forces against the community.

In a joint statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said: "We will not allow the terrorist regime of radical Islam in Syria to harm the Druze. If the regime harms the Druze, it will be harmed by us."

The Druze make up around four percent of Syria’s population, with an estimated 700,000-800,000 living mostly in southwestern areas near Israel and Jordan.

“Israel is the Iron Dome of the Druze in Syria,” a Druze cleric from Sweida told The Press Service of Israel (TPS-IL), referring to the community’s growing interest in closer ties with Israel. Many, he added, would like to see Israel annex parts of southern Syria or establish reciprocal relations with the Jewish state. The southern city of Sweida, with a population of approximately 138,000, lies near the borders of Syria, Israel, and Jordan, making it a strategic location for the Druze.

Many in Sweida are now considering whether their future lies in closer ties with Israel. However, the situation remains complex, with internal divisions within the Druze community. One resident noted, “On the one hand, elements in the Druze community are issuing statements that are pleasing to the ears of the new Syrian regime and talking about the unity of Syria.” On the other hand, some fear that giving up their weapons in favor of Syrian unity would leave them vulnerable to attacks from militias, including those loyal to the Syrian government and jihadist groups.