Israel’s war ministry on Saturday said the military has been instructed to prepare to defend a Druze settlement in the suburbs of Damascus, asserting that the minority it has vowed to protect was “under attack” by Syrian forces, AP reported.

The statement, citing an order from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and War Minister Israel Katz, follows an Israeli warning last weekend that the forces of neighboring Syria’s new regime led by HTS not enter the area south of Damascus.

Saturday’s statement indicates that Israeli regime forces could push farther into Syria as its new authorities try to consolidate control. Israeli forces recently set up posts in a buffer zone and on strategic Mt. Hermon nearby. There have been no major clashes between Israeli troops and Syria’s new forces.