Israel carried out a strike near the presidential palace in Damascus to send a warning to the Syrian government and protect the Druze community, which is under attack
The action was prompted by protests by the Druze in Israel and calls for intervention to stop the violence against their brethren in Syria.
Israel’s prime minister and defense minister announced that the country had carried out a strike near the presidential palace in Damascus, the capital of Syria.
The aim, they said, was to protect the Druze community, an ethno-religious group living in the region.
The attack:
Early Friday morning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that Israel had struck a target near the presidential palace in Damascus.
They said: “We have sent a clear message to the Syrian government: we will not allow Syrian troops to advance south of Damascus even if there is any threat to the Druze community.”
The Israeli military (IDF) later confirmed that fighter jets had carried out the strike near the palace of Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, the president of Syria.
The reason for the Israeli action
The strike came after intense protests by members of the Druze community in Israel, who were angry about the Syrian government’s attacks on Druze in Syria.
Protesters blocked major roads in northern Israel, such as the Eliakim interchange on Highway 6 and the Kabri and Amiad intersections, burning tires and causing major traffic disruptions.
Some even marched to Netanyahu’s residence in Caesarea.
Druze reservists sent a letter to the prime minister calling for immediate action by the army to “stop the massacre against the Druze community in Syria.” They wrote: “Hundreds of Druze fighters are ready to volunteer and fight alongside our brothers, even at the risk of our safety and lives.”
Warnings from Israel
Defense Minister Israel Katz has previously warned the Syrian government, saying: “If the attacks against the Druze in Syria do not stop, we will respond with great force.” He stressed that Israel is committed to protecting the Druze and is monitoring the situation closely.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also spoke on the issue at an event at the presidential residence, calling on the international community to help protect minorities in Syria, especially the Druze, from the Syrian government and terrorist groups.
Published in 05/02/2025 05h09
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
Reference article:
| Geoprocessing Drone Systems HPC |
| ERP and CRM Systems Mobile Systems AI |