Israeli fighter jets struck an area near Syria’s presidential palace early Friday, issuing a sharp warning to Syrian authorities against advancing on villages populated by members of the Druze minority in southern Syria.
The airstrike followed several days of violent clashes between Syrian government-aligned gunmen and Druze fighters near Damascus. Dozens were reported dead or wounded in the fighting, which has shaken areas like the Damascus suburb of Jaramana. Security forces, along with local Druze gunmen, have since deployed in the area as part of a tentative agreement that will eventually see heavy weapons surrendered to Syrian authorities. Under the deal, defense ministry troops will encircle Jaramana but not enter it.
In a statement, Syria’s presidency condemned the Israeli strike as a “dangerous escalation against state institutions and the sovereignty of the state,” urging international intervention and accusing Israel of undermining Syrian unity and national security.
Friday’s attack marked the second Israeli strike in Syria this week. Hitting so close to the presidential compound — reportedly adjacent to the People’s Palace overlooking Damascus — appeared to be a deliberate signal aimed at Syria’s new leadership, which now includes Islamist factions led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz described the airstrike as a “clear message,” declaring that Israel “will not allow the deployment of forces south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community.”
