Israeli Druze leader says Syrian community 'besieged' months after clashes

"They're still besieged -- completely encircled. They aren't allowed to bring in any humanitarian aid, including the aid we're trying to deliver," Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif told AFP in an interview this week. The cleric spoke in Julis, a quiet Druze village in northern Israel, where the community has set up an "emergency room" to coordinate aid efforts for Druze in Syria. Israeli and Druze flags hang on the walls of the room, alongside posters in Hebrew and Arabic calling for an end to the killing of Syrian Druze.