DaysofPal- In a significant escalation, the Israeli military launched an airstrike on Friday targeting the vicinity of the presidential palace in Damascus, Syria. The move marks the second Israeli attack on Syrian territory in as many days, sparking regional alarm and drawing accusations of international aggression.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the attack in a joint statement with Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, stating that the strike was aimed at delivering a clear message to the Syrian government.
“Last night, Israel carried out an airstrike near the presidential palace in Damascus,” Netanyahu said. “This is a clear message to the Syrian regime: We will not allow (Syrian) forces to deploy south of Damascus or pose any threat to the Druze.”
Netanyahu further vowed that Israel would continue its operations under the justification of “protecting” the Druze minority in Syria. Critics, however, accuse Israel of exploiting sectarian dynamics to justify repeated violations of Syrian sovereignty.
The airstrike follows a previous attack on Wednesday, when Israeli aircraft targeted three alleged “security targets” in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, a suburb southwest of Damascus. Israel claimed the attacks were carried out in “defense” of the Druze community. Damascus, in response, reiterated that all religious and ethnic groups in Syria are treated equally and condemned the strikes as part of an effort to sow discord and chaos.
“These attacks are part of Israel’s intervention in Syrian affairs and efforts to stir up chaos under the pretext of defending the Druze minority,” a Syrian government source stated.
Tensions have been high in recent days, particularly in Jaramana, a city in the Damascus countryside, where unrest led to an agreement between the Syrian government and local religious leaders to allow General Security Forces to enter and restore order.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that since May 1, at least 65 people have been killed in various incidents. Among the dead are members of the Syrian administration, affiliated armed groups, and individuals from the Druze and Alawite communities.
The most violent confrontations were recorded in Sweida and its countryside, as well as in Sahnaya, where 29 Druze fighters reportedly died in an ambush allegedly carried out by forces from Syria’s Defense and Interior Ministries and allied groups.
Druze leaders in the Jabal al-Summaq region have met with Idlib officials to reduce sectarian tensions. Mohammad al-Khalaf, director of political affairs in Idlib, and Hussein Junaid, director of the Harem district, expressed strong opposition to what they termed “attempts to sow strife and division,” according to a report by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
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