DAMASCUS - Israeli airstrikes on the Syrian capital Damascus have left three dead and 34 wounded, according to the Syrian health ministry. The strikes, which took place on Wednesday, hit several key sites, including the area of the Syrian Armed Forces' general headquarters and, according to some media reports, the presidential palace.
The Israeli army confirmed the airstrikes and said they were in response to the deteriorating situation in southern Syria, where clashes have been ongoing since 13 July between local Druze militias, which Israel supports, and Syrian government forces.
According to Reuters, Israeli air strikes damaged part of the defence ministry building and hit an area near the presidential palace. An Israeli military official said the attacks targeted the entrance to the military headquarters and a military target near the palace as a warning to the Syrian government, which Israel says is not protecting the Druze minority from attacks in the southern province of Suwayda. Israeli defence minister Israel Katz stressed that Israeli forces will continue to attack until Syrian forces withdraw from the area.
The conflict in Suwayda erupted after Syrian government forces intervened against clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin gunmen. Those clashes, which began on Sunday, have left more than 260 people dead, including four children and five women, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Suwayda, a predominantly Druze province, is facing rising tensions as some local Druze reject the authority of the new government led by interim President Ahmad al-Shara, while others call for integration into the Syrian state.
The Syrian government and Druse clerical leader Sheikh Yusuf Jarbo announced a ceasefire, but compliance is uncertain as another Druse leader, Hikmat al-Hijri, has called for continued fighting against government forces, which he described as "armed gangs". This split between the Druze leaders complicates the situation and increases the risk of further escalation. In the meantime, hundreds of Israeli Druze have crossed the border into Syria to support their relatives, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has criticised and called on them to return.
International reactions to the attacks have been mixed. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the Israeli airstrikes as "escalatory" and a violation of Syrian sovereignty. Saudi Arabia and the European Union have also criticised Israel for violating international law.
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