Israel’s demand for a demilitarized zone in southern Syria and its promise to protect the Druze minority are putting it in deepening conflict with the new regime in Damascus.

Clashes that shook southern Syria this week have killed hundreds of people, including civilians, and drawn in an array of both local and international players, harking back to the dynamics of the country’s nearly 14-year civil war.

Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa accused Israel of trying to fracture Syria and promised to protect its Druze minority on Thursday after U.S. intervention to help achieve a truce in fighting between government forces and Druze fighters.

For weeks, Israel has engaged in back-channel talks over a diplomatic agreement with the Syrian government. Its strikes on Damascus this week highlight a lack of strategic clarity.

Israeli Druze breached the Israel-Syria border fence in the Golan Heights and walked towards Syria on July 16after local calls to help Druze in Syria after a surge in violence in the neighbouring country.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says progress has been made to resolve the fighting in southern Syria that broke out over the weekend and has reportedly left more than 300 dead. "We have engaged all the parties involved in the clashes in Syria,

Following a dramatic Israeli airstrike on Syria’s General Staff Headquarters in Damascus, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio called the escalation a “misunderstanding” and claimed de-escalation could be just hours away.