Pained and angered by deadly clashes between Islamist and Druze gunmen in Syria in recent weeks, leaders of Israel's own Druze minority say the Israeli military was right to intervene to defend the Druze and should do so again if violence restarts.

"We want to want to be sure that he is not a terrorist anymore," senior Israeli official told Newsweek of Syria's Ahmad al-Sharaa.

Sharaa, earlier known as Abu Mohammed al Joulani, had been imprisoned at Abu Ghraib as a member of the Iraqi ISIS faction. Trump describes

P resident Donald Trump announced on Tuesday, May 13, that he plans to end the U.S. sanctions imposed on Syria, which have been in place for over 45 years. Announcing the news on the first day of his Middle East tour, during the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum, Trump said he would be lifting sanctions “in order to give them [Syria] greatness.”

President Trump's announcement that US sanctions on Syria would be lifted was met with elation by Syrians. Syria has a long way to go to recover from years of civil war and brutal dictatorship. But experts say the country needs to see sanctions lifted just to have a chance at beginning the long process of rebuilding.

President Donald Trump asked Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to fully normalize relations with Israel in exchange for sanctions relief. In a readout of the pivotal Wednesday meeting for Syria, Trump encouraged Sharaa to sign onto the Abraham Accords with Israel,

He also called “for a future of safety and dignity of the Palestinian people, but that cannot happen as long as Gaza’s leaders take delight in raping, torturing and murdering innocent people."

The US president is making a slew of deals, decisions and alliances central to the daily well-being and geostrategic future of a marginalized Israel. Gaza could be next