Israel targets Damascus in warning to Syria over Druze violence

Friday 02 May 2025 - 08:08

By: Zahouani Ilham

Israel targets Damascus in warning to Syria over Druze violence

Israel carried out airstrikes near the presidential palace in Damascus, targeting the Syrian government in response to ongoing sectarian attacks against the Druze minority. The strike, which occurred early Friday, marks the second Israeli attack on Syria within the same week and is widely interpreted as a warning to Syria’s transitional administration under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Following the strike, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement: “This is a clear message to the Syrian regime we will not tolerate Syrian troop movements south of Damascus or any threats against the Druze community.”

More than 100 people have died in recent clashes between Syrian pro-government forces and Druze militias. Syria’s leading Druze spiritual figure, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, denounced the killings as a “genocidal campaign” and urged international forces to intervene to stop the bloodshed.

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar echoed that call, demanding international action to safeguard Syria’s minorities, especially the Druze, from what he described as attacks by “the regime and its terror gangs.” Israel has previously labeled Syria’s interim government a “terrorist group from Idlib” that seized control of Damascus through force.

The Druze, a small religious group dating back to the 10th century and rooted in Shia Islam, are mainly located in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. Many Druze have strong ties with Israel and have served in its military.

Meanwhile, Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani appealed for national unity and rejected foreign intervention, warning that such actions would only deepen internal divisions.

The recent violence adds pressure on President al-Sharaa’s transitional government, which came to power after ousting Bashar al-Assad in December. Sectarian unrest has plagued the country ever since, including the March massacre of over 1,700 Alawite civilians members of Assad’s sect by security forces and their allies, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.