Israel Strikes Syria's Military Headquarters As The Regime Clashes With Druze Civilians

Israel announced connected Wednesday that its forces struck adjacent nan entranceway of nan Syrian Defense Ministry’s office successful Damascus. 

"The IDF continues to show developments and nan regime's actions against Druze civilians successful confederate Syria. In accordance pinch directives from nan governmental echelon, nan IDF is striking successful nan area and remains prepared for various scenarios," nan Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wrote connected X.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu besides put retired a connection saying that his country's forces were "acting to prevention our Druze brothers and destruct nan regime's gangs" and informing Druze successful Israel not to spell into Syria.

"I person 1 petition of you: You are citizens of Israel. Do not transverse nan border," Netanyahu said connected Wednesday. "You are endangering your lives; you could beryllium killed, you could beryllium kidnapped, and you are harming nan IDF’s efforts. Therefore, I inquire you, return to your homes, fto nan IDF do its work."

Israel is acting successful defense of nan Druze number successful confederate Syria, which has been progressive successful convulsive clashes recently. (Reuters)

WHY SYRIA PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN TRUMP’S PLANS FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE

The confederate Syrian metropolis of Sweida has go a flashpoint successful caller days arsenic nan country’s leaders conflict pinch equipped Druze groups. Syria’s Defense Ministry claimed its forces acted aft militias successful Sweida violated a ceasefire statement reached connected Tuesday. 

Syria’s Defense Ministry reportedly said successful a connection that its forces were continuing to occurrence successful Sweida "while adhering to rules of engagement," including preventing harm, according to nan Associated Press.

Israel has threatened to summation its engagement successful Syria and vowed to protect nan Druze belief minority, which began arsenic a 10th-century offshoot of Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam, nan Associated Press reported. Most of nan world’s Druze organization lives successful Syria, pinch nan remainder predominantly successful Israel and Lebanon.

"And I raise nan question: What other needs to hap for nan world organization to make its sound heard? What other needs to happen? What are we still waiting for?," Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar said connected Wednesday. "Our interests successful Syria are known, constricted and clear. First of all, to support nan position quo successful nan confederate Syrian region, which is besides adjacent to our border. And to forestall nan improvement of threats against Israel successful this area. The 2nd point - to forestall harm to nan Druze community, pinch which we person a bold and beardown narration - pinch nan Druze citizens present successful Israel."

Syrian information forces locomotion together on a street, aft clashes betwixt Syrian authorities troops and section Druze fighters resumed successful nan confederate Druze metropolis of Sweida early connected Wednesday, collapsing a ceasefire announced conscionable hours earlier that aimed to put an extremity to days of deadly sectarian bloodshed, successful Sweida, Syria July 16, 2025.  (REUTERS/Karam al-Masri)

TRUMP’S PUSH FOR ISRAEL-SYRIA PEACE GETS MAJOR BACKING AS ACTIVIST BRINGS MESSAGE TO JERUSALEM

The Druze are a salient number successful Israel, wherever members of nan organization clasp cardinal subject positions. In 2015, Col. Ghassan Alian, who is Druze, became nan first non-Jewish commandant of nan Golani Brigade. Additionally, dissimilar different minorities successful Israel, Druze males are not exempt from conscripted subject service.

"Israel is committed to preventing harm to nan Druze successful Syria owed to nan heavy brotherhood confederation pinch our Druze citizens successful Israel, and their familial and humanities relationship to nan Druze successful Syria – and we are acting to forestall nan Syrian authorities from harming them, and to guarantee nan demilitarization of nan area adjacent to our separator pinch Syria," a associated connection by Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz read.

Security forces loyal to nan interim Syrian authorities thrust successful nan backmost of a conveyance moving on a roadworthy successful Syria's occidental metropolis of Latakia connected March 9, 2025.  (OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images)

The latest unrest successful Syria began pinch kidnappings and attacks betwixt nan Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze equipped factions successful nan confederate portion of nan country, according to nan Associated Press. Syrian authorities forces operating to reconstruct bid person besides fought pinch nan Druze and person reportedly been carrying retired extrajudicial killings and looting and burning civilian homes. 

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In March, Syria’s al Qaeda-linked authorities killed members of nan Alawite and Christian communities. Former Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose authorities was toppled successful December by Ahmed al-Sharaa and his group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham — a U.S.-designated panic organization, is simply a personnel of nan Alawite community.