In a rare glimpse into life along the Syrian-Israeli border, residents of a Druze village shared their perspectives on Israel's military presence in the occupied Golan Heights and the recent power shift in Syria that saw Tahrir al-Sham rise to control.
Speaking to BBC reporters in Hadar, a village situated an hour from Damascus, local resident Riad Zaidan expressed uncertainty about the Israeli military presence. "They might leave, they might stay, or they might secure the area before withdrawing," he said. "All we can do is hope and wait."
The village chief, who requested anonymity, showed battle photos from his previous fights against various militia groups but took a markedly different stance regarding Israel. "While we defend our land from everyone, Israel is different - it's a superpower. We've fought individuals before, but this is a nation-state we're talking about," he explained.
More pressing for the Druze community, however, is the rise of Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), given the jihadist group's history of targeting their ethnic minority. "We've seen enough bloodshed," another villager told reporters. "Peace is all we need now."
When asked about the new HTS leadership, residents remained cautiously optimistic. "They started as gangs, but now they've overthrown the regime," one local explained. "They claim they'll govern fairly and protect everyone's rights. Whether they've truly changed remains to be seen. We can only hope."
Kikar HaShabbat contributed to this article.
