Damascus: Israel has struck the headquarters of the Syrian military and close to the presidential palace in the capital Damascus, compounding a volatile situation on the ground and following through on its threats over clashes between Syrian government troops and Druze fighters in the southern Syrian city of Suwayda.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement on Wednesday that the Israeli military had struck the entrance of the Syrian military headquarters in Damascus.
The strikes came hours after Katz’s threat to the Syrian government to withdraw from Suwayda, where they have been engaged in fierce clashes in recent days with fighters from Syria’s Druze minority, whom Israel views as a potential ally in Syria and claims to be intervening to protect.
Fierce fighting has resumed in the southern city, a major centre for the Druze community, since a ceasefire announced by the Syrian government on Tuesday swiftly collapsed.
The media witnessed two drone attacks on the headquarters of the Syrian Ministry of Defence, one in front of the entrance to the building, and the other near the back.
Drones were continuing to circulate overhead and bursts of gunfire had been heard, apparently from Syrian defensive positions shooting at the drones.
“This goes to show the situation is escalating. Israeli strikes have now reached the heart of Damascus,” the media report said.
According to the media reports a t least 70 people were believed to have been killed in the fighting so far. Medical sources in the city say more than 200 people have been injured in the violence.
Meanwhile, the UK-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says more than 250 people had been killed as of Wednesday morning, including four children, five women and 138 soldiers and security forces. The observatory added that at least 21 people were killed in “field executions”.
The fighting has led to chaotic scenes along Israel’s border with Syria. Large numbers of Israeli Druze gathered there, with some crossing into Syria to support Druze groups there, while hundreds gathered on the other side of the fence.
The Israeli military said it had identified dozens of individuals trying to cross from Syria into Israel, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed directly to Israel’s Druze community not to cross the border.
“You can be kidnapped, and you hurt the [Israeli army’s] efforts,” said Netanyahu. “So I ask you – go back to your homes, let the [army] act.”
Israeli air attacks continue
On top of the clashes on the ground and the strikes on Damascus, Israel has continued its air raids around Suwayda, with Israel launching a series of strikes early on Wednesday followed by a second barrage later. The Israeli military said it was targeting tanks, rocket launchers, weapons and pickup trucks with heavy machine guns making their way to Suwayda.
In a threat to Syria before launching the attacks on Damascus, Katz said government forces must be withdrawn from Suwayda, or Israel would ramp up its attacks.
“As we have made clear and warned – Israel will not abandon the Druze in Syria and will enforce the demilitarisation policy we have decided on,” he said.
Syria has condemned Israel’s intervention as a violation of international law, as have several Arab nations. Israel has also been attacking other areas of Syria regularly since longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad was deposed in December, claiming it is targeting weapons sites. The Israeli government has dismissed the fledgling Syrian government of Ahmed al-Sharaa as “extremists”.
The United States has revoked its designation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) as Washington softens its approach to post-war Syria. The decision earlier this month is part of US President Donald Trump’s broader strategy to re-engage with Syria and support its reconstruction after more than a decade of conflict.
