The illegal crossings came around the announcement by US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack that Israel and Syria have agreed to a ceasefire supported by Turkey, Jordan, and regional partners.

At the center of a crisis in Syria are the Druze — a secretive religious minority that long carved out a precarious identity across Syria, Lebanon and Israel.

Violence in Syria's Druze province has triggered Israeli military action, complicating relations with Turkey and creating a power vacuum that Iran could exploit.

"The minute we see terrorists going into hospitals and murdering children and patients, we cannot stand idle," Fares Alawi told the Israeli news site. Israel-Druze political activist Fares Alawi crossed the border into Syria on Wednesday,

Army says there were no further crossings overnight, is working to patch up holes in fence; Kurdish official urges Sharaa to rethink approach to minorities

Hundreds of Druze from Israel pushed across the border in solidarity with their Syrian cousins they feared were under attack. Many then met relatives they had never seen before.

In a stunning shift, Druze communities in Syria’s Sweida region have been seen cheering and saluting Israeli forces entering their areas. The IDF says its operation aims to protect the Druze people from escalating violence by Syrian government troops under Al-Sharaa.

Israeli military responds to protect Syrian Druze from Islamist militants as local Druze citizens cross the border to aid their brethren, prompting concerns from Israeli officials.