Israel launched an airstrike early Friday near Syria’s presidential palace in Damascus, delivering a powerful warning amid escalating sectarian clashes involving Syria’s Druze minority.
The strike came just hours after Israeli leaders cautioned the Syrian government against advancing on Druze-populated areas in southern Syria.
It also marked the second Israeli airstrike in Syria this week, but this time, the location—close to the residence of President Hussein al-Sharaa—sent an unmistakable political message.
“This is a clear message to the Syrian regime,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement. “We will not allow a withdrawal of forces from south of Damascus and any danger to the Druze community.”
Tensions exploded earlier this week when violence broke out between government-aligned fighters and Druze militia members.
The conflict began after an audio clip, allegedly insulting Islam’s Prophet Muhammad(SAW), went viral on social media. Though a Druze cleric denied any connection to the recording, the backlash was swift and deadly.
READ ALSO: Top Military Officials Say U.S. Bases Can’t Stop Drone Threats
According to Syrian state media, 11 security personnel were killed in two attacks. The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported a much higher death toll—56 people killed in areas near Damascus, including the Druze-majority suburb of Jaramana and the town of Sahnaya.
On Thursday, top Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri condemned Syria’s actions, calling the attacks on the minority sect “genocidal and unjustified.”
The Israeli airstrike hit near the People’s Palace, a key government site perched on a hill in Damascus. Though Israel gave no specifics, its military made clear the target was symbolic as much as strategic.
The Druze, a small religious minority with deep roots in the region, are concentrated mainly in southern Syria, Lebanon, and Israel’s Golan Heights. Their position has often been precarious during Syria’s long-running civil war.
As tensions rise, Israel’s show of force highlights both the regional complexity and its deep concern over the treatment of the Druze community just across its border.
