Israel carried out strikes near Syria’s presidential palace and on the military headquarters in Damascus on Wednesday, a significant escalation of its bombing campaign in the neighbouring country.
The Israeli military also carried out strikes in southern Syria, where violence between Druze militants, Bedouin tribes and Syrian security forces raged for a fourth day. Local officials say about 50 people have been killed in the clashes so far.
Israel cast its strikes as an effort to protect Syria’s Druze minority, and has demanded the Syrian government withdraw its forces from Sweida, where the sectarian violence has been concentrated.
“The [Israeli military] will continue to operate vigorously in Sweida to destroy the forces that attacked the Druze until they withdraw completely,” defence minister Israel Katz said after the strikes in Damascus.
Syria’s foreign ministry condemned the “treacherous Israeli aggression” in Damascus and Sweida, which it said had killed several civilians, injured dozens and “caused extensive damage to infrastructure and public services”.
“Syria holds Israel fully responsible for this dangerous escalation and its consequences, and affirms that it retains its legitimate rights to defend its land and people,” the ministry added.
Turkish and Arab officials have repeatedly criticised Israel’s interventions, saying they undermine efforts to stabilise a country home to multiple sects and riven by deep divisions after 14 ruinous years of civil war.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said Washington was “very concerned” about the violence.
He later added: “Obviously, these are historic, longtime rivalries between different groups in the south-west of Syria — Bedouins, the Druze community — and it led to an unfortunate situation and a misunderstanding, it looks like, between the Israeli side and Syrian side.
“So, we’ve been engaged with them all morning long and all night long, with both sides. And we think we’re on our way towards a real de-escalation . . . In the next few hours, we hope to see some real progress.”
Syrian government troops were dispatched to Sweida on Monday to quell fighting between Druze forces and Bedouin armed men, who have a long history of animosity. However, they ended up themselves clashing with the Druze.
Syria’s interior ministry on Wednesday afternoon announced a ceasefire agreement for Sweida, saying in a statement that security checkpoints had been set up. An earlier ceasefire agreement, announced on Tuesday night, soon collapsed because of renewed fighting.
Activists described scenes of carnage in Sweida city, with both government forces and Druze militias accused of killings and rights violations.
The office of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led a rebel offensive that ousted former president Bashar al-Assad last year, acknowledged “unfortunate violations” in Sweida, which it described as “criminal and illegal”. It promised an investigation to hold accountable those “proven to be involved”.
Sharaa’s rule has been marred by multiple outbreaks of sectarian killing. Activists in Sweida, the home of Syria’s Druze community, compared the violence to clashes in March between government security forces and the minority Alawite sect loyal to Assad. Scores of people — including many civilians — were killed.
The surge in violence comes as Sharaa’s transitional government struggles to establish control over the whole of Syria.
He has received early support from US President Donald Trump, who last month lifted most American sanctions on Syria, arguing that the move would give the fledgling administration a better chance of survival.
Sharaa has also had to contend with repeated interventions from an emboldened Israel, which has exploited the security vacuum in its northern neighbour to seize territory along the border and launch waves of air strikes targeting military infrastructure.
Sharaa’s government, which has said it does not want conflict with its neighbours, had been holding talks with Israel to ease tensions before the latest outbreak of violence.
Israel’s bombing in Damascus came as Druze leaders in Israel — which is also home to a Druze community — called for Israel to carry out “air strikes that will thwart the murderous forces operating in southern Syria”.
They also called on members of the community to “prepare with all the necessary means to cross the border, in order to help their brothers who are being slaughtered in Syria”.
The Israeli military subsequently said “several” people had tried to cross from Israel into Syria, while “dozens” had tried to cross in the opposite direction. It added that it was operating to stop border crossings in either direction.
The calls from Israel’s Druze leaders were echoed by Hikmat al-Hijri, a prominent Druze leader in Syria who is considered closest to Israel. He called for “international protection” for his community, and asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for help.
Hijri’s views, however, do not represent most of Sweida’s Druze community — riven as it is with divisions over whether to integrate with the new government dominated by members of Sharaa’s Islamist movement Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
Sharaa has repeatedly said his government would protect minority rights, while his efforts to rebuild the country have been backed by Arab and western states.
Druze concerns about the new government were exacerbated after deadly clashes between government forces and Druze militias in April.
Additional reporting by Steff Chávez and Abigail Hauslohner in Washington
