Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated the strikes were a warning against violence targeting the Druze community.
In response to violence against the Druze minority, Israel announced Friday that its warplanes conducted airstrikes near the Syrian presidential complex.
“Moments ago, fighter jets struck the vicinity of Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa’s palace in Damascus,” the IDF stated.
Al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, headed a coalition of Islamist groups that overthrew President Bashar Assad in December 2024. The swift capture of the capital and other western Syrian cities was marked by massacres of Druze, Christians, and Assad supporters.
According to Al Jazeera, on Monday, clashes broke out in the towns of Jaramana and Sahnaya, south of Damascus, after an audio recording criticizing Prophet Muhammad circulated on social media. The recording was attributed to a Druze scholar, who has denied involvement.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz released a joint statement Friday, calling the IDF strikes “a clear message to the Syrian regime.” They added, “We will not allow forces to be deployed south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community.”
Syria’s state news agency, SANA, reported Thursday that security had been restored in Sahnaya following the deployment of security forces. The Syrian Foreign Ministry denounced what it described as “attempts to internationalize the situation” and pledged to protect the Druze population.
The Druze, a minority religious group following an offshoot of Islam, constitute approximately 3% of Syria’s population. Some Druze in southern Syria have reportedly sought Israeli protection, considering it the “lesser evil.”
The IDF entered southwestern Syria shortly after Assad’s fall in December, occupying several towns beyond the Golan Heights, including Quneitra.
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