Israel strikes near Syrian presidential palace "in defense" of Druze minority
Shafaq News/ Israeli warplanes targeted an area near the Syrian presidential palace in Damascus overnight, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Friday, framing the strike as a message to the Syrian government and a move to protect the country's Druze minority amid escalating regional unrest.
It was Israel's second such strike in as many days.
'In a clear message to the Syrian regime, Israel conducted a nighttime strike near the presidential palace in Damascus,' Netanyahu said in a joint statement with Defense Minister Israel Katz. 'We will not allow Syrian forces to expand south of the capital or threaten the Druze population.'
The Israeli military confirmed the operation, saying its fighter jets had hit 'an area adjacent to the residence of Ahmad Hussein al-Sharaa' in central Damascus. It did not specify the exact target.
#عاجل 🔴 أغارت طائرات حربية قبل قليل على المنطقة المجاورة لقصر أحمد حسين الشرع في دمشق
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) May 2, 2025
Syrian authorities have not issued an official response, but residents reported intense aerial activity and multiple explosions shaking parts of the capital.
The strike came amid mounting Israeli concern over what it described as 'growing threats' to the Druze population in Syria. Earlier this week, Defense Minister Katz warned that Israel would respond 'with overwhelming force' if Damascus failed to protect Druze-populated areas—particularly after recent clashes in the Sahnaya and Jaramana suburbs and the southern province of As Sweida.
On Wednesday, Israeli warplanes struck what officials described as an 'extremist cell' in Sahnaya, accusing the group of plotting attacks against Druze civilians. That operation was described by Israeli media as a 'warning shot.'
Israel's military escalation follows the December collapse of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime—an event that Israeli leadership has called a 'strategic opportunity' to curb any resurgence of Syrian military power near its northern border. Israeli media cited sources claiming that much of Syria's heavy military infrastructure was disabled in the wake of Al-Assad's ouster.
Since Monday night, Syria has been rocked by sectarian clashes that have left more than 100 people dead, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The casualties include Druze fighters, pro-regime security forces, and armed groups, as well as civilians.
The violence comes on the heels of a brutal wave of unrest in Syria's coastal region last month, in which some 1,700 people—mostly Alawites—were killed.
Moafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of Israel's Druze community, urged swift intervention. 'We are on the brink of a massacre,' he said. 'The international community must act now to protect Druze lives in Syria.'
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