Damascus, Syria- Israeli warplanes carried out an airstrike early Friday targeting a site near the presidential palace in Damascus, in what officials described as a warning to the Syrian government amid heightened unrest in southern Syria.
A joint statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said the strike “sent a clear message to the Syrian government,” emphasizing that Israel “will not tolerate any threat to the Druze community.”
The Israeli military spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, said the raid targeted an area adjacent to the Ahmed Al-Sharaa palace compound in the Syrian capital. No casualties or damage details were immediately available from Syrian sources.
Read also: Israel Strikes Armed Group Near Damascus
The airstrike follows a series of violent incidents in recent days in and around the Damascus countryside and Suwayda province, home to much of Syria’s Druze minority. Local unrest has escalated over armed clashes and growing fears of sectarian violence.
On Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called for international intervention in Syria to “protect minority communities,” warning that the international community must not turn a blind eye to the escalating violence.
Related: Sectarian Clashes Continue in Southern Damascus Suburb
The comments come in the wake of a public statement issued by the three top Druze religious leaders in Syria, rejecting any efforts to divide the country or separate Suwayda from Damascus. The leaders reiterated their commitment to Syrian unity and called on the Syrian state to restore order and reopen key transport routes, including the main road between Suwayda and the capital.
In a related development, security forces from the transitional Syrian government deployed along the administrative border between Daraa and Suwayda provinces on Thursday. A security source told +963 that the move was “a preparatory step for future operations in Suwayda.”
