Israel conducted an airstrike near Syria’s presidential palace during the early hours of Friday, following their warning to Syrian authorities regarding movements towards villages populated by a minority sect in southern Syria.
The strike occurred after several days of violent encounters between pro-government forces and Druze minority fighters near Damascus, resulting in numerous casualties and injuries. Syria’s Druze spiritual leader has condemned a “genocidal campaign” against his community after sectarian clashes killed 102 people.
Israel sees the new forces in Syria as jihadists and has warned them to protect the Druze minority, with defence minister Israel Katz saying his country could otherwise respond “with significant force”. The violence poses a serious challenge to the Islamist authorities in Syria who ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December.
This Friday’s attack, the second Israeli strike on Syria this week, targeted an area near the presidential palace, seemingly conveying a stern message to Syria’s new Islamist leadership, primarily controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri, the Druze spiritual leader, on Thursday severely condemned the Syrian government for what he termed an “unjustified genocidal attack” on their community.
According to the Israeli military’s statement, their fighter jets targeted an area adjacent to President Hussein al-Sharaa’s Palace in Damascus, without providing additional information.
Syrian pro-government media reported that the strike landed near the People’s Palace situated on a hill overlooking Damascus.
The conflict ignited around midnight Monday following the circulation of an audio recording on social media containing criticism of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, attributed to a Druze cleric. However, cleric Marwan Kiwan denied responsibility for the controversial audio in a social media video.
Syria’s information ministry confirmed 11 security personnel deaths in two separate incidents, while The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 56 fatalities in Sahnaya and Jaramana, including local fighters and security forces.
The Druze religious community, which emerged as a 10th-century offshoot of Ismailism within Shiite Islam, comprises approximately one million members worldwide, with over half residing in Syria, primarily in Sweida province and Damascus suburbs.
The remaining Druze population is distributed between Lebanon and Israel, including the Golan Heights, which Israel seized from Syria during the 1967 Mideast War and subsequently annexed in 1981.
