Defence minister warns Israel will intensify attacks unless Syrian forces withdraw from Sweida
Israeli warplanes have struck the Syrian military headquarters in Damascus for the third consecutive day, as the Israeli government warned it would escalate involvement to protect the Druze religious minority from Syrian government forces.
The Israeli military confirmed it targeted the entrance gate of Syria’s Ministry of Defence with two warning missiles from reconnaissance aircraft on Wednesday. State television reported two civilians were wounded in what Damascus called “treacherous Israeli aggression.”
The strikes came as deadly clashes continued in the southern city of Sweida between Syrian government forces and Druze armed groups, marking the collapse of a ceasefire agreement reached just one day earlier.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a stark warning to Damascus, demanding Syrian forces withdraw from the Druze-majority region. “The Syrian regime must let the Druze in Sweida go and withdraw its forces,” Katz said in a statement released by his office.
“The IDF will continue to attack regime forces until they withdraw from the area – and will also soon raise the bar of responses against the regime if the message is not understood,” he added, pledging that Israel would not “leave Druze alone.”
The Israeli military said it was monitoring “actions being taken against Druze civilians in southern Syria” and confirmed strikes on security forces and army vehicles in Sweida province, where government troops have been accused of summary executions.
Syria’s defence ministry blamed militias in Sweida for violating Tuesday’s ceasefire agreement, stating: “Military forces continue to respond to the source of fire inside the city of Sweida, while adhering to rules of engagement to protect residents.”
The violence has killed more than 250 people since Friday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, including four children, five women and 138 soldiers and security forces. The monitoring group reported at least 21 “field executions” of civilians.
Wednesday’s strikes targeted both the general staff command building in Damascus and a site near the Presidential Palace, with the Israeli military saying the headquarters was being used to dispatch troops to Sweida.
The escalation prompted chaos along the Israeli-Syrian border, with hundreds of Israeli Druze breaching the frontier to enter Syria in solidarity with their brethren. The IDF acknowledged being unprepared for the situation and said troops were working to return them to Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a joint statement with Katz directing the military to “immediately attack the regime forces and the weaponry that entered the Sweida area,” citing Israel’s “deep covenant of blood” with Druze citizens.
The European Union expressed alarm at the continuing violence, calling on all sides to implement a ceasefire and urging external actors to “fully respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” following the Israeli strikes.
US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack described the situation as “worrisome” and confirmed Washington was in contact with all parties to “navigate towards calm and integration.”
Reports suggested the Trump administration had asked Israel to halt its strikes, with officials saying Jerusalem had promised to cease attacks on Tuesday evening. However, Israel continued operations on Wednesday morning.
The Druze, a religious sect that originated as a 10th-century offshoot of Shia Islam, number approximately one million worldwide. More than half live in Syria, with significant populations in Lebanon and Israel, including the Golan Heights.
In Israel, the Druze are considered a loyal minority who often serve in the military. Syrian Druze have been divided over engagement with Damascus since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024.
Syrian government forces entered Sweida on Tuesday after clashes erupted between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes, initially sparked by tit-for-tat kidnappings and sectarian violence that began on Friday.
Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra had announced a ceasefire agreement with local leaders, pledging military police would “regulate military conduct and hold violators accountable.” However, the agreement quickly collapsed amid renewed fighting.
Druze spiritual leader Hikmat al-Hajri accused government forces of breaching arrangements and continuing to fire on residents, declaring: “We are being subject to a total war of extermination.
The Israeli military reported conducting more than 160 strikes in Syria since Monday, primarily in the Sweida area. Officials said they were preparing for several days of fighting whilst conducting indirect talks with Damascus.
Two divisions are being readied for deployment to the Golan Heights, with aerial forces including drones and fighter jets being diverted to the region as Israel expands its military footprint in southern Syria.
The violence has reignited fears among Syria’s minorities about the new Sunni Islamist-led government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, with memories fresh of sectarian revenge attacks that killed hundreds of Alawites in March.
Local media reported heavy artillery and mortar fire continuing in Sweida and surrounding villages on Wednesday, with residents accusing Damascus of using the clashes as a pretext to assert control over an area where government authority remains contested.
As casualties mount and international concern grows, the situation threatens to draw Israel deeper into Syria’s complex internal conflicts whilst testing the fragile authority of the country’s new leadership.
Follow for more updates on Britannia Daily
