Syria experienced Israeli air raids close to the president's palace in Damascus.
Israel launched airstrikes near the Syrian president's palace in Damascus, as announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. The IDF confirmed that Israeli fighter jets targeted the palace of Syrian leader Ahmed al-Assad.
The Israeli forces took this action to deliver a clear message to the Syrian regime: they will not tolerate forces being deployed south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community. Clashes between opposing forces have been reported in the cities of Sahna and Jaramana, areas with a significant Druze population.
One of the religious leaders of the Druze community in Syria, Hikmat al-Hijri, called for international protection for the Druze population in the wake of the violence. The Syrian authorities, however, claimed that their security forces were not involved in the armed conflict and were merely deployed to restore order.
Israel has long maintained its commitment to preserving the safety of the Druze community, primarily due to historical, familial, and strategic ties with the Israeli Druze population. Israel fears that sectarian violence could destabilize the region and jeopardize shared religious bonds. A controversial audio message deemed blasphemous to Islam sparked violence in Jaramana, while radical groups operating in Syria following the December 2024 overthrow of Bashar al-Assad have been linked to the attacks.
In response, Israel conducted a drone strike near Damascus against operatives preparing an attack on Druze civilians in Sahnaya. Three wounded Syrian Druze civilians were also evacuated to Israel for medical treatment. The Israeli Defense Minister explicitly warned the Syrian president to halt violence against the Druze, threatening further military action.
Israel's actions reflect its broader goal of countering jihadist influence in Syria and advocating for a decentralized governance structure there. The Druze issue also serves as a diplomatic rudder, with reports suggesting that the Syrian president is considering normalization talks—a prospect that Israel views with skepticism while encouraging the U.S. to weaken Syria’s central authority.
The escalating violence underscores Syria’s fragmented security landscape, where the government struggles to control militias and extremist factions, leaving minorities vulnerable.
- Hikmat al-Hijri, a Druze religious leader in Syria, called for international protection in response to the violence in Sahna and Jaramana, areas with a significant Druze population.
- The Israeli Defense Minister explicitly warned the Syrian president to halt violence against the Druze, threatening further military action, especially after a drone strike near Damascus against operatives preparing an attack on Druze civilians in Sahnaya.
- Israel's actions against suspected threats to the Druze community, as well as its verbal warnings, suggest a broader goal of countering jihadist influence in Syria and advocating for a more decentralized governance structure there.
- The Syrian authorities have claimed that their security forces were not involved in the armed conflict, but the escalating violence underscores Syria’s fragmented security landscape, where the government struggles to control militias and extremist factions, leaving minorities like the Druze vulnerable.
