Israel launched powerful airstrikes in Damascus on Wednesday, blowing up part of the defence ministry and hitting near the presidential palace as it vowed to destroy government forces attacking Druze in southern Syria and demanded they withdraw.
The attacks marked a significant Israeli escalation against the administration of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and came despite his warming ties with the United States and his administration’s evolving security contacts with Israel.
Describing Syria’s new rulers as barely disguised extremists, Israel has said it won’t let them move forces into southern Syria and vowed to shield the area’s Druze community from attack, encouraged by calls from Israel’s own Druze minority.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the situation as “complicated” but said it looked like a “misunderstanding”. He said he thought progress towards de-escalation would be made within hours.
Scores of people have been killed this week in violence in and around the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, pitting fighters from the Druze minority against government security forces and members of Bedouin tribes.
Reuters reporters heard warplanes swoop low over the capital and unleash a series of massive strikes mid-afternoon. Columns of smoke rose from the area near the defence ministry. A section of the building was destroyed, the ground strewn with rubble.
A Syrian medical source said the strikes on the defence ministry killed five members of the security forces.
An Israeli military official said the Israeli military struck the entrance to the military headquarters in Damascus and a military target near the presidential palace.
The Israeli official said Syrian forces were not acting to prevent attacks on Druze and were part of the problem. Defence Minister Israel Katz said the Israeli military would “continue to operate vigorously in Sweida to destroy the forces that attacked the Druze until they withdraw completely”.
Sharaa is facing major challenges to stitch Syria back together in the face of deep misgivings from groups that fear Islamist rule – mistrust exacerbated by mass killings of members of the Alawite minority in March.
Syrian government troops were dispatched to the Sweida region on Monday to quell fighting between Druze fighters and Bedouin armed men but ended up clashing with the Druze militias.
Late on Wednesday, the Syrian interior ministry and a Druze leader, Sheikh Yousef Jarbou, said a ceasefire had been reached.
However, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajari, another Druze leader, said fighting should continue until Sweida is “entirely liberated”. A ceasefire that was announced on Tuesday collapsed.
Sweida residents said they were holed up indoors. “We are surrounded and we hear the fighters screaming … we’re so scared,” said a resident of Sweida who was reached by phone.
The crack of gunfire interspersed by booms could be heard in the background. “We’re trying to keep the children quiet so that no one can hear us,” the man added, asking not to be identified for fear of reprisals.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights said 169 people had been killed in this week’s violence. Security sources put the toll at 300. Reuters could not independently verify the tolls.
