Israel has sent humanitarian aid to Druze communities in Syria in recent weeks, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said today, a further indication of its support for the minority group.

“In an operation carried out in recent weeks, 10,000 humanitarian aid packages have so far been delivered to the Druze community (…) in areas of Syria,” the ministry noted.

These packages contained basic items, such as oil, flour, salt and sugar, and were sent mainly to Syria’s southern Suayda province, the Israeli foreign ministry clarified.

The Druze are an Arab ethnicity, a branch of Islam, with a presence in Syria, Israel, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Lebanon.

In Israel, many Druze serve in the army and have taken part in the war in the Gaza Strip.

Since the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December, Israeli officials have expressed reservations about the new Syrian government under Ahmad al-Sharah, describing the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group from which it originated as jihadist.

Israel calls on the new Syrian authorities to respect the rights of minorities, including the Druze.

This week Israeli Defense Minister Israel Kats said Syrian Druze would be allowed to enter and work in the Golan Heights, Syrian territory occupied by Israel in the 1967 war.

Moreover, earlier this month, following clashes in a Damascus suburb where mostly Druze and Christians live, Qats had threatened Syrian authorities with military intervention if they attacked the Druze.

But his statements were immediately dismissed by prominent figures in the community, reiterating their commitment to Syrian unity.

The Druze stayed away from conflict during the Syrian civil war and are mainly concerned with protecting their territories.

Their representatives are negotiating with the new Syrian authorities to reach an agreement to integrate their armed groups into the country’s new national army.

Meanwhile, some 100 Druze priests are due to visit the Golan Heights tomorrow Friday for a pilgrimage for the first time since 1948 and the establishment of the state of Israel, according to a source close to that delegation.

These priests are to go to worship at a holy site for their religion and meet with the religious leader of the Druze in Israel, Sheikh Moufak Tarif, the source added.