As it pledged to destroy government soldiers attacking Druze in southern Syria and demanded their withdrawal, Israel unleashed heavy airstrikes in Damascus on Wednesday, blowing destroying part of the defense ministry and striking near the presidential palace.
Despite his administration’s growing security connections with Israel and his administration’s improving relations with the United States, the assaults represented a major Israeli escalation against the administration of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Encouraged by appeals from Israel’s own Druze minority, Israel has declared that it will not allow Syria’s new rulers to transfer soldiers into southern Syria and promised to protect the Druze population from attack. Israel has described the new authorities as barely veiled radicals.
