Israel National News: Israel has sent fighter planes to Syria several times recently in order to protect the Druze population in southern Syria, Channel 12 News reported Wednesday morning.

According to the report, the planes flew low in order to send a clear message to the new Syrian regime that Israel will protect the Druze, as well as to distance representatives of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who had attempted to reach the area where the Druze population is concentrated.

Israel has close ties with the leaders of the Syrian Druze community, and has promised to help them as much as necessary and protect them from attempted attacks.

In the past two weeks, the Syrian Druze community has become concerned that they may face a massacre similar to the recent massacre of the Alawite community.

Israel is holding close talks with the Druze leaders in Syria, and Defense Minister Israel Katz has promised to allow Syrian Druze into Israel for purposes of employment. The pilot program is expected to begin next week.

The workers will initially be accepted for agricultural work in the Golan Heights. As part of the pilot, a system will be used to sort the workers and check them prior to accepting them into Israel. Initially, only a few dozen will be accepted; the quantity is expected to grow later on.

On Tuesday night, the IDF conducted a wave of strikes in Syria, with the goal of preventing the new regime from reaching weapons which may later be used against Israel and the Syrian Druze. The strikes targeted military bases used by former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Source: INN  PHOTOS: Use according to Section 27 A