Who are the Druze and why is Israel bombing Syria for them?

Sectarian clashes that shook southern Syria this week have killed hundreds of people, including civilians, and drawn in an array of local and international players. The outbreak of violence underscored the new Syrian government's struggle to consolidate control over the country, months after longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad was ousted by Islamist-led rebels.

On Wednesday, Israel launched air strikes on Syria's capital, Damascus, while also hitting government forces in the south, in an operation it says was aimed at protecting a minority group caught up in the clashes. A ceasefire mediated by the US, Türkiye and Arab countries mostly held on Thursday, though scattered violence was reported. Syrian state media said Israel also carried out more strikes near the southern Sweida province.

Here's a closer look at the main parties in the bloody unrest and why Israel has gotten involved.

How did the fighting begin?

Syrian government forces were deployed to southern Syria after clashes between Sunni Bedouin clans and Druze militias. Syria has been deeply divided since the fall of the Assad regime in December, emerging from decades of dictatorship and nearly 14 years of civil war.

Many of the country's religious and ethnic communities are wary of Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who was formerly linked to the Al Qaeda terrorist group. Although al-Sharaa has repeatedly vowed to protect minority groups, there have been several rounds of sectarian killings since Islamist rebels ousted al-Assad from power.

The latest escalation began on Sunday after members of an armed Bedouin tribe attacked and robbed a local Druze man, according the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). This led to tit-for-tat kidnappings and attacks between the Bedouin tribes and the Druze armed factions that controlled large parts of Syria's southern province, Sweida.

Syrian government forces intervened on Monday to restore order but were perceived by the Druze as taking the side of Bedouins, drawing them into further clashes with Druze militias. At least 594 people have been killed in Sweida, according to the SOHR monitoring group.

Historically, a disagreement over the rightful successor to the Prophet Mohammed after his death in 632 AD led Muslims to be split into two main camps: Sunni and Shia.

Sunni: The Bedouins
Bedouins are nomadic Arab tribes, with the majority adhering to Sunni Islam. In Syria, they are mostly distributed along the outskirts of the Sweida province, which is largely controlled by the Druze. In 2000, unrest broke out after a Bedouin killed a Druze man in a land dispute. The former president's forces intervened, shooting Druze protesters. After a 2018 Islamic State group attack on the Druze in Sweida that killed more than 200 people, the Druze accused the Bedouins of helping the militants. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, this week's clash began when members of one of the armed Bedouin tribes attacked and robbed a local Druze man.

Shia offshoot: The Druze
The Druze are followers of a religion that is a 10th-century offshoot of a branch of Shia Islam. They maintain a degree of secrecy about the practice of their faith, which emphasises monotheism, reincarnation and the pursuit of truth. More than half of the world's 1 million Druze live in Syria, where they control large parts of the southern Sweida province. Many Druze serve in the Israeli military, including during the war in Gaza, and some have reached a high rank, meaning their voices cannot be easily ignored by Israel's political leadership.

Sunni: Syrian government
Interim President al-Sharaa is the head of Syria's Islamist-led government. He was once an Al Qaeda affiliate before cutting ties with the terrorist group in 2016 and spearheaded the anti-Assad charge in December. Al-Sharaa's hopes of stitching Syria back together are complicated by the country's mix of sectarian and ethnic groups. Sunni Muslims make up the majority of Syria's population of more than 20 million. Its religious minorities include Alawites, Christians, Druze and Shia Muslims.

So, why is Israel striking Syria?
Israel claims to have launched the attacks to protect Syria's Druze, who Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as \"brothers\". Netanyahu said he ordered the strikes on forces and weapons in the Sweida area because the Syrian government \"intended to use them against the Druze\". Israel also struck the headquarters of the Syrian Ministry of Defense in the heart of Damascus.

According to the source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation.