Israel launched airstrikes on Syrian army and defense ministry headquarters in Damascus on Wednesday, July 16, following a warning to the Islamist-led Syrian government to halt attacks on the country’s Druze minority in the southern city of Sweida.
The Israeli military confirmed the strikes, saying: “A short while ago, the IDF struck the entrance of the Syrian regime’s military headquarters in the area of Damascus in Syria.” Syrian state media reported that two people were wounded in the attack.
The airstrikes came after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a stern warning to Damascus, demanding an end to hostilities against the Druze community. “As we have made clear and warned, Israel will not abandon the Druze in Syria and will enforce the demilitarisation policy we have decided on,” Katz said. He also threatened continued military action unless Syrian forces withdrew.
Israel also announced the deployment of additional troops to the border area between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syrian-controlled territory, citing a deteriorating security situation.
The escalation follows deadly sectarian clashes in Sweida province, where the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 248 people have been killed since fighting erupted on Sunday. The Observatory reported 92 Druze fatalities, including 28 civilians and 21 allegedly executed by Syrian government forces. At least 138 Syrian security personnel and 18 Bedouin fighters also died, according to the group.
Violence broke out after the kidnapping of a Druze vegetable vendor led to retaliatory abductions between Druze and Bedouin factions. Although Syrian government troops entered Sweida on Tuesday under the guise of enforcing a ceasefire, witnesses and activists say they instead sided with Bedouin fighters, launching coordinated attacks on Druze fighters and civilians.
AFP correspondents reported ongoing shelling and sporadic gunfire in Sweida, with columns of smoke rising across the city. The local Suwayda 24 outlet described “intense shelling with heavy artillery and mortars.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously warned in February that southern Syria must remain demilitarised, stating Israel would not tolerate hostile forces near its border.
Israel’s intervention has been framed by officials as a defense of the Druze community, a religious minority with ties to Druze populations in Israel and the Golan Heights. Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, spiritual leader of the Druze in Israel, described the situation as “an existential battle for the Druze community.”
However, analysts have suggested Israel’s support for the Druze may also serve strategic aims of keeping hostile Syrian forces away from its frontier.
Tensions in Syria have intensified since the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad in December. The new Islamist-led regime has faced growing accusations of marginalising ethnic and religious minorities.
