The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a drone attack on the Syrian Army headquarters in the capital, Damascus, on Wednesday, following their threats against the new authorities amidst clashes between Druze militants and Bedouins backed by Syrian security forces in the city of Sweida (in the south, near the Jordanian border).
Hours later, Israel confirmed an attack on “a military target” at the presidential palace in Syria and the Syrian state television Al Ijbariya reported “massive attacks” in Damascus, including Umayyad Square.
In the last 24 hours, the IDF attacked tanks, rocket launchers, weapons, and armed trucks in the outskirts of Sweida, where they also bombed “access routes”.
Why did Israel attack the capital of Syria?
According to the Israeli military’s version, an unmanned aerial vehicle attacked “the entrance gate of the headquarters of the Syrian Army General Staff in Damascus,” without any reports of casualties or a response from the authorities established in Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024.
“The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continue to monitor the events and activity against Druze civilians in southern Syria,” emphasized in a statement.
In addition, the IDF highlighted that they “strengthened” their deployment on the border with Syria with several police companies.
The Minister of Defense of Israel, Israel Katz, said about the attack on the Army headquarters in Damascus, located near the Ministry of Defense: “The signals in Damascus have ended and now the painful blows will come.”
“The IDF will continue to operate vigorously in Syria to destroy the forces that attacked the Druze until they withdraw completely,” Katz commented in a statement. “Druze brothers in Israel can count on the IDF to protect their brothers in Syria,” Katz said, pointing out that the “commitment” made in this regard by himself and by the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, “will be fulfilled.”
The government forces of Syria broke into Sweida on Tuesday after several days of fighting, which resumed in the last hours despite the ceasefire announced yesterday by Damascus and which left around 260 dead, according to the latest report published by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Druze cross the border from Israel into Syria
Israeli authorities reported that “several Israeli Druze citizens” crossed the border into Syria from the vicinity of Majdal Shams and said that the IDF “is working to achieve a safe return” of these individuals, amidst protests from the Israeli Druze community in support of the Druze on the other side of the border.
Israel also reported that it prevented the entry of “dozens of suspects” from Syria near the city of Hader.
After the fall of the Al Assad regime, the Israeli Army occupied the “buffer zone” established in the Golan Heights adjacent to the part that Israel has occupied since the war and annexed in 1981. Additionally, it has carried out numerous bombings against Syria since then with the aim of weakening the new security forces.
The authorities established after the fall of Al Assad due to an offensive by jihadists and rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) have faced various security problems, some of them sectarian in nature, despite the promises of the new transitional president and former leader of HTS, Ahmed al Shara (previously known as Abu Mohamed al Golani), to stabilize the situation.
Who are the Druze?
The Druze are an Arab group composed of about a million people mainly distributed in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan. Their religion, of a monotheistic nature and reserved character, originated in the 11th century in Egypt, from currents of Shiite Islam. Over time, this faith incorporated ideas from other religions and philosophies, such as Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, and Greek philosophy, forming a complex and unique doctrinal set.
One of the most notable peculiarities of the Druze creed is its rigidity regarding belonging to the group: conversion is not allowed and marriages with individuals outside the community are restricted.
In Israel, the Druze population reaches 143,000 individuals, which is approximately 1.6% of the national population. This community is mainly located in the northern part of the country, in areas such as Galilee, the Golan Heights, and the Carmel mountain range, inhabiting towns like Daliyat al-Karmel and Yarka. There, the Druze have established strong bonds among their members and maintain an active cultural life, while also setting themselves apart from other Arab groups in Israel by integrating into the state structures, especially through the mandatory military service they have been subject to since 1957.