The Druze religious sect, enmeshed in an outbreak of tit-for-tat violence in Syria, began roughly 1,000 years ago as an offshoot of Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam.

The Druze, a religious sect with roots in Ismailism and a storied history in Syria, maintain secrecy and discourage intermarriage. With a strong sense of community support, they have long navigated political turbulence,

One of the largest minority groups in Syria, the Druze have been the focus of a recent outbreak of violence.Syrian minority the Druze were at the center of a new conflict, following another outbreak of violence.

The Druze established strongholds in the mountainous areas of the region that includes Lebanon and Syria, where they continued to practice their faith in relative isolation over the generations.

Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa urged Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes Saturday to "fully commit" to a ceasefire aimed at ending clashes with Druze-linked militias that left hundreds dead and threatened to unravel the country's postwar transition.

Though Syrian troops withdrew from Sweida after the truce, fighting reignited late Thursday between the tribal Bedouin fighters and the Druze, a religious minority with followers in Lebanon and Israel. Israel's military carried out fresh strikes in Sweida province overnight.

There is a long history to this recent event, and understanding it leads to deep insights into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Druze are Arabs but not Muslims.

The Druze, who number around 140,000 in Israel, are an Arabic-speaking minority population distinct from the mainstream Muslim and Christian Arabic communities, with a unique history, culture and ...

Druze and Jews have a deep history of partnership, with some Druze even fighting in the Jewish Haganah militias in the Arab-Israeli war of 1948.

JARAMANA, Syria — Syria’s Druze minority has a long history of cutting their own path to survive among the country’s powerhouses. They are now trying again to navigate a new, uncertain Syria ...

The Druze faith has deep connection to Greek philosophy, especially Pythagorean and Platonic thought, and its belief in reincarnation.