Israel’s recent airstrike near the presidential palace in Damascus underscores rising tensions and sectarian violence threatening the Druze community amid ongoing clashes in the region.
Israel Bombs Syrian Area Near Presidential Palace Amid Druze Conflict
Israel Bombs Syrian Area Near Presidential Palace Amid Druze Conflict
Israel conducts an airstrike near the Syrian presidential palace in response to escalating violence targeting the Druze minority, as Prime Minister Netanyahu warns against threats to their safety.
Israel has reported that its fighter jets bombed an area adjacent to the presidential palace in Damascus, Syria, in light of recent sectarian violence affecting the Druze minority. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the strike as a "clear message" to the Syrian regime, reaffirming Israel's commitment to safeguarding the Druze community and preventing military threats in southern Syria.
While the Syrian government has yet to respond officially, it has voiced concerns regarding what it calls "foreign intervention" during earlier clashes that involved armed Druze, Syrian security forces, and Sunni Islamist fighters. Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, the spiritual leader of Syria's Druze, condemned the violence and urged international forces to step in to help maintain peace amid what he termed a "genocidal campaign" against his community.
The Syrian government claims to have dispatched security personnel to Druze regions, characterizing the groups involved in the conflict as "outlaws." Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani has cautioned that calling for external intervention can lead to further fragmentation and strife.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitoring body, reported at least 102 fatalities due to violence in various towns including Ashrafiyat Sahnaya and Jaramana, which are primarily Druze neighborhoods. The casualties include both Druze civilians and fighters, highlighting the brutal impact of the ongoing unrest.
The violence reportedly ignited in Jaramana after an audio clip featuring disparaging remarks about the Prophet Muhammad circulated, inciting anger among Sunni Muslims and triggering retaliation that has spread throughout the region.
Druze faith, an offshoot of Shia Islam, accounts for approximately 3% of Syria's population, with many followers based in Lebanon, Israel, and the Golan Heights. The community's fears have been heightened by the recent mass killings of Assad's Alawite sect during security force conflicts, leading to rising tensions among minority groups in the country.
In a prior warning, Netanyahu had declared zero tolerance for threats against the Druze population from emerging security forces in Syria. He has previously expressed concerns over threats posed by the Sunni Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), classified as a terrorist organization by multiple international bodies.
The Israeli military has conducted numerous strikes in Syria over recent months, aiming to eliminate military assets and ensure the security of Israeli borders, particularly including recent operations in the UN-monitored zones between the Golan Heights and Syria itself.
