Druze, Syria and Israel
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Israel threatened to escalate attacks on Syrian government forces unless they withdrew from Sweida, a southern province dominated by the country’s Druse minority.
The Israel Defense Forces said it struck "the entrance" of Syria's military headquarters in Damascus on Wednesday.
An Israeli military official said, "we are reinforcing forces in the Golan Heights and along the border, ready for a multitude of scenarios."
20hon MSN
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the Damascus headquarters served as a command center for deploying regime forces to Suwayda, a southern Syrian region gripped by days of deadly clashes between government troops, Druze militias, and Bedouin groups.
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The Israeli army said Wednesday that it struck near the entrance to the Syrian Ministry of Defense in Damascus. The strike came as clashes continued in the southern Syrian city of Sweida after a ceasefire between government forces and Druze armed groups collapsed.
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Al Jazeera on MSNWhy did Israel bomb Syria? A look at the Druze and the violence in SuwaydaSyria, on Wednesday, strongly condemned Israeli attacks, denouncing the strikes as a “dangerous escalation .” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Israel of pursuing a “deliberate policy” to “inflame tensions, spread chaos and undermine security and stability in Syria”.
For weeks, Israel has engaged in back-channel talks over a diplomatic agreement with the Syrian government. Its strikes on Damascus this week highlight a lack of strategic clarity.
Israel said its military struck several tanks in southern Syria, as clashes between Bedouin gunmen and Druze militias left dozens dead and injured.