logo
US Did Not Support Recent Israeli Strikes on Syria, State Dept Says

US Did Not Support Recent Israeli Strikes on Syria, State Dept Says

Asharq Al-Awsat18-07-2025
The United States did not support recent Israeli strikes on Syria, the State Department said on Thursday, adding that Washington made clear its displeasure after tensions escalated and worked quickly to stop it.
On Wednesday, Israel launched airstrikes in Damascus, while also hitting government forces in the south, demanding they withdraw and saying Israel aimed to protect Syrian Druze - part of a small but influential minority that also has followers in Lebanon and Israel.
"Regarding Israel's intervention and activity ... the United States did not support recent Israeli strikes," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters at a regular news briefing.
"We are engaging diplomatically with Israel and Syria at the highest levels, both to address the present crisis and reach a lasting agreement between the two sovereign states."
Bruce declined to say whether Washington supports Israel carrying out such military operations when it deems necessary.
"I won't speak to future conversations or past ones. What we're dealing with now is this particular episode, what was required, and I think we've been very clear about our displeasure, certainly that the President has, and we've worked very quickly to have it stopped," she said.
She added that the United States condemns violence in Syria and said Washington was actively engaging all constituencies in Syria to navigate toward calm and continued discussions on integration and called on the Syrian government to lead the path forward.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

UN aid chief demands evidence after Israel accuses staff of links to Hamas
UN aid chief demands evidence after Israel accuses staff of links to Hamas

Al Arabiya

time4 hours ago

  • Al Arabiya

UN aid chief demands evidence after Israel accuses staff of links to Hamas

UN aid chief Tom Fletcher has demanded that Israel provide evidence for its accusations that staff with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs were affiliated with Palestinian militants Hamas, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Friday. At a UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday, Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon declared that Fletcher and OCHA were no longer neutral and that hundreds of OCHA employees would undergo security vetting. Israel would also restrict OCHA visas to one month, he said. 'Israel has uncovered clear evidence of Hamas affiliation within OCHA's ranks,' Danon told the 15-member council without providing evidence. In a letter to the Security Council on Thursday, Fletcher said Danon's remarks were the first time any such concern had been raised and that the accusations were 'extremely serious and have security implications for our staff.' 'I expect the Israeli authorities to immediately share any evidence that led them to make such claims to the council,' Fletcher said. He noted that around the world OCHA engages with all parties to armed conflict to secure humanitarian access, press for the protection of civilians and promote respect for humanitarian principles, adding: 'As Israeli authorities know, our contacts with Hamas have also supported hostage releases.' Israel is committed to helping civilians and getting aid to those in need, Danon said, though he warned: 'We will not work with organizations that have chosen politics over principles.' The war in Gaza was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and took some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel's military campaign has killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and reduced much of the enclave to ruins. 'We must hold all parties to the standards of international law in this conflict,' Fletcher wrote in his letter. 'We do not choose between demanding the end to the starvation of civilians in Gaza and demanding the unconditional release of all the hostages.' Israel, which controls all supplies entering Gaza, denies it is responsible for shortages of food.

Israel strike kills one in south Lebanon
Israel strike kills one in south Lebanon

Arab News

time5 hours ago

  • Arab News

Israel strike kills one in south Lebanon

BEIRUT: An Israeli strike on southern Lebanon on Friday killed one person, authorities said, with the Israeli military identifying the slain man as an official with militant group Hezbollah. Israel has repeatedly struck Lebanon despite a November ceasefire that sought to end over a year of hostilities with Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. The Lebanese health ministry said Friday that 'an Israeli strike on a vehicle in the village of Baraachit resulted in one dead.' The Israeli military said it had 'eliminated the personnel officer for Hezbollah's Bint Jbeil sector,' near the Israeli border. The man 'was involved in efforts to rehabilitate the terrorist organization in the Bint Jbeil area of southern Lebanon and operated to recruit terrorists during the war,' a military statement said. On Thursday, Israel said it had struck Hezbollah weapons depots and a rocket launcher, and 'eliminated a Hezbollah terrorist' in Lebanon's south. Under the November truce, Hezbollah was to withdraw its fighters north of the Litani river, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border, leaving Lebanon's army and United Nations peacekeepers as the only armed parties in the region. Israel was to withdraw its troops from Lebanon but has kept them in five areas it deems strategic.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store