Before clashes erupted along the Syrian coast between security forces and remnants of the former regime, Jaramana served as a preliminary test for what was to come.

The city of Jaramana, home to a mixed population of Druze, Christians, and Sunnis, witnessed clashes in late February between local Druze families and security forces after the arrest of two young men from the Qabalat family.

These tensions quickly spilled over onto social media, where the hashtag #جرمانا (Jaramana) emerged, carrying sectarian rhetoric and inciting language which condemned the actions of the Druze. The situation escalated further following statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who declared Israel’s readiness to intervene to protect the Druze in Jaramana, labeling the Syrian regime as "extremist."

Hasty Mobilization

On February 28, the hashtag was launched with 1,542 posts, and its activity surged dramatically in the following days, reaching 18,732 posts by March 1.

An analysis of the data related to the #جرمانا (Jaramana) hashtag revealed that the social media campaign was not limited to Syria. Instead, it extended beyond borders, reaching several neighboring countries such as Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, as well as countries in Europe and the United States.

When examining the pattern of interactions with the hashtag, it becomes clear that reposts were the most prominent feature of the campaign, with over 17,900 reposts—making up the majority of the engagement.

Replies also surged, reaching 16,518, while original posts were far fewer, totaling only 3,381. This indicates that the campaign relied heavily on amplifying existing content rather than generating original material.

During this period, particularly on March 1, 2025, the hashtag saw a massive wave of negative engagement. On that day alone, negative posts exceeded 10,961, reflecting a surge in anger and discontent over the unfolding events.

Through an analysis of the most common negative words in the interactions, many were found to be linked to sensitive political and sectarian terms. In addition to “Israel”, Walid Jumblatt, the leader of the Druze in Lebanon, was also mentioned, allegedly criticizing the Druze of Syria. Additionally, the use of words like "traitors" and "dirty beard" (which appeared 293 times) reveals a sectarian tone in the discussions. On the other hand, the mention of “Israel” 149 times within negative contexts suggests an attempt to link Jaramana to Israel as part of a broader narrative that labelled the city's residents as traitors.

Directed Polarization

Analyzing the most widely shared posts reveals that they incited against senior Druze clerics, suggesting they are treasonous, and accusing them of collaborating with Israel.

For example, a post by the account of Jihad Al Mabrouk (@Jih407) was widely shared. It contained harsh phrases describing Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hajri, a prominent religious figure of the Druze community, as "the old man with the dirty beard," accusing him of attempting to ignite a sectarian war with the support of both internal and external militias linked to the Israeli occupation. This post garnered over 116,000 views, with more than 2,400 shares.

Bold questions also circulated, such as one by Renad Shikho (@Renadshikho), who questioned the absence of an Israeli stance towards the regime, while accusations were being directed at some members of the Suwayda community, claiming that the "Julani group" was becoming more extremist, sectarian, and arrogant.

In his post, Khaled Sallal (@khaledsallal03) described Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hajri as a "fraudster" who claims to have a non-separatist national project, while simultaneously calling on the armed Druze factions to dissolve and integrate into the Syrian army. Other posts also emerged, alleging the smuggling of criminals from Jaramana to Suwayda.

Another account, named PIC | صور من التاريخ (Pictures from History) @inpic0, continued to post provocative content directly linking the Druze sect in Syria to Israel, through posts promoting the idea that "the Druze of Syria are celebrating Netanyahu's announcement of Israel's readiness to enter Jaramana and defend them." This post alone garnered over 385,000 views and was reposted nearly 1,400 times.

Media activist account, Rabea Chaar (@ar_rby32215), described in a post the city of Jaramana as a "hotbed of corruption, thuggery, and collaboration with Iran and Israel," calling for what he referred to as a "general mobilization to eradicate them." This post achieved over 62,000 views and 658 likes.

In another prominent post, the account titled “the military observatory” (@Military_OSTX) linked the events in Jaramana to Israeli and Iranian agendas, garnering 143,000 views and nearly 4,000 re-shares.

An analysis of the posts from the aforementioned accounts reveals their support for the new Syrian regime, with some celebrating statements and decisions made by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Disinformation

The most frequently repeated words in the hashtag #جرمانا (Jaramans) included the name Walid Jumblatt, the leader of the Druze in Lebanon, in reference to a statement attributed to him accusing the Druze religious figure in Syria, Hikmat Al-Hajri, of carrying out "Israeli agendas."

BBC revealed that these statements were false and were not made by Jumblatt. Additionally, the video circulating showing the Druze celebrating after Netanyahu's statements was found to be old and "misleading".

A prominent example of this are the tweets by Ahmad Salman (@1ahmadslman), which emphasized a video showing a group of Druze citizens celebrating, with a misleading claim that this celebration was in response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statements, in which he promised to protect the Druze in the area of Jaramana, in rural Damascus.

However, analysis of the video using the InVID verification and analysis tool revealed important details regarding the context and content of the clip. The metadata shows that the video was published and modified on March 1, 2025, at 20:24:53 Eastern European Time (GMT+2), raising suspicions that it may be an old recording or one taken from a different context, then re-shared at a very sensitive time, coinciding with Netanyahu's statements, which contributed to misleading followers. Technical data clearly shows that the clip contains no textual or audio clues linking it to Netanyahu's statements or to any direct connection with the recent events in Jaramana. This type of manipulation, using videos out of their true context, is a deliberate technique used in targeted campaigns to mislead public opinion, stir emotions, and increase sectarian polarization by provoking violent, negative reactions between different sects and groups within Syrian society.

Additionally, another video spread showing Israeli military vehicles, falsely claiming they were filmed in Damascus. However, searching for visible store signs in the video revealed that they were actually filmed in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank.