The Israeli military struck the Syrian defence ministry in Damascus twice on Wednesday, July 16. Israel is trying to intervene in the clashes between the Syrian army and Druze fighters in southern Syria.
The strikes collapsed four floors of the defence ministry, killed one person and injured 18. This is the third day in a row that Israel has conducted air strikes on Syria and the first time it has targeted Damascus since May.
Why does Israel Care?
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed it is conducting ongoing strikes in the area. These actions are carried out “in accordance with directives from the political echelon”. Israel’s interest lies with that of the Druze community, a minority group facing extremist violence. Druze people, who are of Arab origin and follow a branch of Islam, live across Israel, Syria, and Lebanon. They reject Islamic extremism and are widely respected within Israeli society.
In 1948, a coalition of Arab nations attacked the newly established State of Israel. The Druze living in northern Israel sided with Israeli forces. By 1956, Israel began formally recruiting Druze Muslims into its military. Since then, many Druze soldiers have gone on to lead major brigades. During the recent Gaza war, 12 Druze soldiers lost their lives fighting for Israel.
The Druze Conflict
A large portion of Syria’s Druze population lives in the border province of Sweida. For the past two weeks, a local militia has been attacking Druze villages. In response, armed Druze factions began fighting back. As tensions escalated, radical groups began receiving direct support from the Syrian government. The government-aligned militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham then opened heavy fire on Druze-populated areas — prompting Israel to intervene militarily.
Strike Leaves One Dead
Israel launched several air strikes in the heart of the Syrian capital, Damascus after a truce between government forces and Druze armed groups collapsed. Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces struck near the entrance to the Syrian Ministry of Defence. Another strike hit near the presidential palace, on the outskirts of the city. The Israeli War Room in a post on X said, “A short while ago, the IDF struck the entrance gate of the Syrian regime’s military headquarters compound in the Damascus area of Syria.”
The airstrikes also struck a Syrian state TV building in central Damascus late Wednesday, disrupting a live television broadcast. A video of the attack went viral, showing a news anchor running off the screen as explosions hit the building. Reports suggest the Israeli army is redeploying troops from Gaza to the Syrian border.
A spokesperson for the Israeli military said the strike on the defence ministry had been a message to the Syrian president. The message was directed to Ahmed al-Sharaa “regarding the events in Sweida”.
Also read: Israel Launches Preemptive Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Facilities
Netanyahu Warns Citizens
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, issued a statement urging people not to try to cross the border into Syria.
“Do not cross the border. You are risking your lives; you could be murdered, you could be taken hostage, and you are impeding the efforts of the IDF,” he said.
On the other hand, Netanyahu is facing challenges at home. His government lost its parliamentary majority. The ultra-Orthodox Shas party quit the ruling coalition over a military draft exemption dispute. Its exit follows that of United Torah Judaism (UTJ), which left the coalition earlier this week for similar reasons. Netanyahu now heads a minority government and faces increased challenges.
Global Reactions
The Foreign Ministry of Russia on Thursday strongly condemned the Israeli strikes. “The new wave of violence in Syria is deeply concerning,” the ministry said in a statement. “The Russian side has repeatedly condemned Israel’s arbitrary use of force in Syria. These attacks, which constitute a gross violation of the country’s sovereignty and international law, deserve strong condemnation.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “We’re going to be working on that issue.” He added, “I just got off the phone with the relevant parties. We’re very concerned about it, and hopefully, we’ll have some updates later today. But we’re very concerned about it.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Israel’s air strikes. “The Secretary-General further condemns Israel’s escalatory airstrikes on Sweida, Daraa and in the centre of Damascus. Guterres’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. He also condemns reports of the IDF’s redeployment of forces in the Golan.”
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