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Israel has launched airstrikes on Syria, targeting the Syrian military headquarters and an area near the presidential palace in Damascus, killing at least three people and injuring 34, according to Syria’s health ministry. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed the strikes, stating they hit "military targets" in the capital and southern Syria, including armoured vehicles and weapons storage facilities in the Suweida region.
The attacks follow days of deadly sectarian clashes in Suweida between Druze militias and Bedouin groups backed by Syria’s new Islamist-led government. Israel claims its actions aim to protect the Druze community, but the BBC’s Middle East correspondent, Lina Sinjab, reports the strikes also carry political motives, signaling Israel’s intent to limit the new Syrian government’s control near its borders.
Syria’s Information Minister, Hamza al-Mustafa, condemned the strikes, calling them an attempt by Israel to “escape internal pressures” rather than a victory. Syrian state media reported a ceasefire in Suweida, the fourth since Sunday, though previous agreements have collapsed. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) says over 300 people, including 69 Druze fighters and 40 civilians, have been killed in the region since clashes began.
The strikes have heightened tensions, with the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, warning that Syria’s fragile situation risks further instability. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed concern, saying the US is engaging both sides to de-escalate and hopes for progress “in the next few hours.” However, the IDF vowed to increase the “pressure and pace” of its operations
The Druze community’s push for autonomy in Suweida has fueled tensions with Damascus, which seeks to reassert control. Israel’s intervention, including strikes on 400 military sites after Bashar al-Assad’s fall in December, aims to prevent militarisation near its border but risks inflaming Syrian public anger and dividing the Druze, many of whom reject Israeli involvement.
