Israeli Airstrike Near Syrian Presidential Palace Early Friday Morning

Israeli Airstrike Near Syrian Presidential Palace Early Friday Morning

According to a report by Al Jazeera, the Israeli military launched an airstrike early Friday morning near the Presidential Palace in Syria. Israel accused the Syrian government of failing to protect the Druze minority from escalating sectarian violence. This marks Israel’s second strike in Syria this week and is seen as a strong message to the country’s interim government, currently led by President Ahmed al-Sharar.

Following the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement, saying:
"This is a clear message to the Syrian government: We will not tolerate the deployment of [Syrian] forces south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community."

More than 100 people have been killed this week in clashes between pro-government forces and Druze fighters in Syria.

Syria’s Druze spiritual leader, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, condemned the violence as a “genocidal campaign,” stating:
"International intervention is urgently needed to maintain peace and stop these crimes."

On Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called on the international community to “fulfill its duty to protect Syria’s minority communities—especially the Druze—from the Syrian government and its terrorist militias.”

Israel has previously labeled Syria’s interim government as a “terrorist group that seized power from Idlib to Damascus” and has increased its support for the Druze community this week.

The Druze are a religious minority that emerged from a branch of Shia Islam in the 10th century and are primarily found in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. Many Druze serve in the Israeli military and are considered close allies of Israel.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani stated on Thursday, “National unity is the foundation for any stability or reconstruction process.” He posted on X:
"Any call for foreign intervention—regardless of the pretext—will only deepen division and worsen the situation."

The sectarian violence is being viewed as one of the biggest challenges yet for interim President Ahmed al-Sharar, who came to power in December after leading a rebel coalition that ousted former President Bashar al-Assad.

Since then, Syria has been gripped by rising sectarian strife.

Prior to this week’s conflict, in March, Syrian security forces and allied militias reportedly killed more than 1,700 civilians from the Alawite community, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Alawites are an ethnic group primarily residing in Syria’s coastal western region, and they are the sect of the deposed president Bashar al-Assad.