Israel strikes Syria, taking sides in sectarian clashes in southern province
Dozens killed in Damascus and Sweida as Israeli airstrikes hit Syrian military targets citing defense of Druze; Syria calls attacks illegal
DAMASCUS, Syria (MNTV) – A dangerous new front opened in the Middle East on Wednesday as Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on Damascus and southern Syria, claiming to protect the country’s Druze minority amid violent sectarian clashes.
The strikes mark a dramatic escalation following a fragile ceasefire collapse in Syria’s southern Sweida province, just days after U.S. President Donald Trump lifted sanctions on Syria and pledged support for its postwar recovery.
The Syrian state news agency SANA reported that Israeli warplanes struck key government buildings in Damascus, including the General Staff Complex and the Presidential Palace, known as Qasr al-Shaab.
Smoke billowed across the capital as explosions rocked central districts near Umayyad Square. Casualties were reported but not yet detailed.
Shortly before the strikes, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed “painful blows” against Damascus, later posting footage of the bombings online. “Heavy blows have started,” Katz wrote on social media platform X.
This second wave of Israeli attacks targeted the southern city of Sweida, a stronghold of Syria’s Druze minority.
According to the Israeli army, the strikes destroyed Syrian tanks, rocket launchers, and pickup trucks mounted with machine guns. Drone footage published by the Israeli military appeared to confirm precision strikes on military targets, though Syrian media claimed civilian deaths as well.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said the strikes were part of an urgent military response to protect Druze communities caught in the crossfire between government troops and local armed factions.
“The IDF is committed to the deep alliance with our Druze brothers,” read an army statement, adding that reinforcements were being sent to the northern border to prevent further chaos. The 210th “Bashan” Division was reportedly bolstered with troops and surveillance units.
Tensions along the Israel-Syria border flared as hundreds of Israeli Druze reportedly crossed into Syria to assist relatives.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged restraint: “Don’t pass the border. You endanger your lives. Let the army act.” Haaretz reported that vehicles from the Syrian village of Hader had entered the Golan Heights to retrieve Israeli Druze trapped by the fighting.
Meanwhile, Damascus accused Israel of violating international law.
Syria, Turkiye issue condemnation
Syria’s presidency issued a statement condemning the attacks as “criminal and illegal behavior,” promising investigations and accountability. “We will not allow these acts to go unpunished,” the statement said.
Turkish foreign ministry also denounced the Israeli strikes, accusing Tel Aviv of attempting to “sabotage” Syria’s post-war reconstruction.
“The Syrian people have a historic opportunity to live in peace. These attacks are meant to derail that,” the statement said.
The conflict’s origins lie in a fragile and volatile region. Sweida, predominantly Druze, had remained largely quiet during Syria’s 14-year civil war.
But since Sunday, the province has been gripped by sectarian clashes between Druze factions and Arab Bedouin tribes. The violence began with tit-for-tat kidnappings and quickly spiraled into full-blown conflict, prompting government troops to intervene.
The Syrian government declared a ceasefire on Tuesday, claiming to have brokered it through local elders. Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said the army would only “respond to sources of fire.” Yet within hours, fighting resumed. Artillery and mortars reportedly pounded Druze neighborhoods, and rights groups alleged that government forces executed civilians and looted homes.
The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported at least 166 deaths since Sunday, including five women and two children. It accused security forces of “field executions,” including 12 men killed inside a rest house in Sweida city.
Syrian interim President Ahmad Hussein al-Sharaa ordered immediate legal proceedings against anyone involved in abuses “regardless of rank,” signaling a possible shift toward accountability in the newly emerging Syrian government.
But Israel’s involvement has ignited fierce political debate.
While Israel insists it is acting to prevent sectarian massacres and to secure its northern frontier, critics accuse it of using the crisis as a pretext to strike at the Assad-aligned regime in Damascus and disrupt Syria’s reintegration into the global fold.
Notably, the escalation follows President Trump’s decision to lift U.S. sanctions on Syria, hailing a “renewed opportunity for peace and regional stability.”
The timing of Israel’s military campaign has raised concerns in Washington and beyond.
Recipe for destabilization
Analysts fear it could destabilize a delicate transition process under President al-Sharaa, who replaced long-time leader Bashar al-Assad after years of internal dissent and international isolation.
The U.S. State Department has yet to issue a formal statement on Israel’s strikes, but several Democratic and Republican lawmakers have called for restraint on all sides.
All eyes are now on the White House and whether it will pressure its ally Israel to de-escalate or give tacit support to the military action.
Meanwhile, the situation on the ground in Sweida remains precarious.
Civilians have been caught between warring factions, and humanitarian access is limited. Syrian security forces have established new checkpoints, with reports of soldiers seizing property from residents. Locals described chaotic scenes of gunfire, looting, and fear.
“We haven’t seen this kind of violence in Sweida in years,” a resident told media outlets.
“We are terrified. We don’t know who to trust—our own government, the militias, or the foreign forces in our skies.”
As night fell on Wednesday, another blast shook Damascus, and Israeli officials said they were monitoring “multiple scenarios” on the Syrian frontier.
With the ceasefire broken, sectarian tensions rising, and foreign powers deepening their involvement, Syria once again finds itself on the brink of regional conflagration.
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