Israel bombs Syria after Iran strike, are we heading for a World War III - what we know so far

Time of India

16-07-2025

An escalation of a conflict in the Middle East is triggering fears worldwide, as Israel launched a significant barrage of airstrikes on Damascus on Wednesday, hitting important Syrian government facilities such as part of the Defence Ministry and close to the presidential palace, as per a Reuters report.
Israel Says It's Defending Druze Communities
The government of Israel claims its recent attacks were intended to defend the nation's Druze minority and their broader communities in southern Syria, specifically in the war-torn city of Sweida, where intense clashes have broken out among government troops, Bedouin tribal fighters, and local Druze militias, according to the report.
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Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the Israeli military would "continue to operate vigorously in Sweida to destroy the forces that attacked the Druze until they withdraw completely," as quoted by Reuters.
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A Blow to Syria's New Government
The Israeli attacks were a significant Israeli escalation against the Islamist-led administration of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, as reported by Reuters. This came even after his warming ties with the United States and his administration's increasing security contacts with Israel, reported Reuters.
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While Sharaa is also facing major difficulty bringing Syria back together due to deep misgivings from groups that fear Islamist rule and mistrust, which increased after mass killings of members of the Alawite minority in March, as per the report.
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Ceasefire in Question as Druze Leadership Splits
The Syrian interior ministry and a Druze leader, Sheikh Yousef Jarbou, had declared that a ceasefire agreement with the Syrian government in Sweida had been reached, but Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajari, another Druze leader, said fighting should continue until Sweida is "entirely liberated," as quoted by Reuters. As Hajari and Jarbou are rivals, Hajari's forces have led the offensive against the Syrian government and have fiercely criticised Syria's new rulers, and without his agreement, a ceasefire is very unlikely to hold, as reported by Reuters.
According to Reuters, Druze are followers of a religion that is an offshoot of Islam and are spread between Syria, Lebanon, and Israel.
Israeli Druze Cross the Border to Aid Syrian Druze
After the group asked Israel to help Druze in Syria, scores of Israeli Druze broke through the border fence on Wednesday, linking up with Druze on the Syrian side, reported Reuters, citing a witness.
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Israeli military was trying to save the Druze and asked Israeli Druze citizens not to cross the border, the Israeli military stated it was working to safely return civilians who had crossed, as reported by Reuters.
US and Turkey Call for Calm
The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that the situation was complicated, as there were long-time historic rivalries involved, but shared that he had been engaged with both sides all morning and "we are on our way towards a real de-escalation," as quoted in the report. Rubio said, "In the next few hours we hope to see some real progress to end what we have been seeing the last couple of hours," as quoted by Reuters.
Even Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan communicated with his counterparts from Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and with US Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, to condemn Israel's attacks on Syria and urged for an end to the increasing violence in the country's south, as reported by Reuters.
FAQs
Why is Israel bombing Syria now?
Israel says it's trying to protect the Druze community in southern Syria, especially in Sweida, where fighting has become deadly, as per the report.
Why did Israeli Druze cross into Syria?
Driven by concern for their families, dozens of Israeli Druze broke through the border to support their community in Syria, as per the report.