Israeli Attacks Near the Ministry of Defense in Damascus: What Is Happening in Syria?
The Israeli military announced today that it carried out a strike near the Syrian Ministry of Defense in the capital Damascus.
The attack comes at a time when clashes continue in the southern Syrian city of Suwayda, after a truce between government forces and armed Druze groups collapsed.
Israel is threatening to escalate its involvement in supporting the Druze. The Syrian Ministry of Defense blamed paramilitary militias in Suwayda for violating the ceasefire agreement reached on Tuesday, which led Syrian army soldiers to resume military operations in the Druze-majority province.
The clashes began with retaliatory kidnappings and attacks between local Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze armed factions. Government forces that intervened to restore order clashed with the Druze, and soon reports emerged that security forces were carrying out extrajudicial killings, looting, and burning civilian homes.
Official casualty figures have not been released since Monday, when the Syrian Ministry of Interior reported that 30 people had been killed. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that by this morning, more than 250 people had been killed, including four children, five women, and 138 soldiers and members of the security forces.
Israel has launched a series of airstrikes on government force convoys since the outbreak of the conflict, stating it is acting to protect the Druze. In Israel, the Druze are considered a loyal minority and often serve in the army, according to Danas.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said today that the Israeli military "will continue to strike regime forces until they withdraw from the area and will soon increase the intensity of the response against the regime if the message is not understood."
In Syria, the Druze are divided over how to deal with the country’s new leaders, with some advocating integration into the new system, while others remain distrustful of the authorities in Damascus and advocate for an autonomous Druze region.
