Israel Strikes Damascus as Syrian Province Erupts in Violence
US Seeks Ceasefire Amid Deadly Sectarian Clashes
Israel launched airstrikes on Syria’s defense ministry in Damascus and government forces in southern Syria on Wednesday. This action escalates tensions as deadly sectarian fighting continues for a fourth day in the predominantly Druze province of Suweida.
Israeli Justification and Syrian Accusations
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Israeli forces were “working to save our Druze brothers and to eliminate the regime’s gangs.” Syria’s foreign ministry condemned the strikes as “treacherous aggression.”
The warnings in Damascus have ended. The IDF will continue to operate vigorously in Suweida to destroy the forces that attacked the Druze until they withdraw completely. The painful blows have begun.
— Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) July 17, 2025
The Syrian defense ministry later reported Israeli strikes targeted government institutions and civilian facilities, resulting in the deaths of “several innocent civilians.” The ministry characterized the assault as a “blatant violation of the United Nations Charter and international humanitarian law.”
US Mediation and Syrian Troop Withdrawal
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed deep concern over the southern violence, anticipating an end to the conflict within hours. He announced agreements on “specific steps that will bring this troubling and horrifying situation to an end tonight.” Syria’s foreign ministry welcomed U.S. and Arab efforts to peacefully resolve the crisis.
Syrian state news agency Sana reported that Syrian troops have begun withdrawing from Suweida. This move is reportedly part of an agreement between the Syrian government and the province’s religious leaders, following the army’s completion of its pursuit of “outlaw groups.”
Escalation Amidst Internal Strife
The Israeli military’s intervention began on Monday, targeting Syrian security forces and their armaments. This deployment marked the first time Syrian forces had been stationed in Suweida city since rebels overthrew President Bashar al-Assad in December. Israel has maintained a stance of preventing harm to the Druze population due to their ties with Druze communities in Israel and the occupied Golan Heights.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz asserted on X (formerly Twitter) that warnings in Damascus had concluded and that the Israeli military would “continue to operate vigorously in Suweida.” He later posted, “The painful blows have begun,” accompanying the statement with a video of a news presenter diving for cover during an air strike near the Syrian defense ministry.
Fadi Al Halabi, a Syrian filmmaker visiting Damascus, described the fear of those who heard the approaching Israeli fighter jets. “People’s faces were so afraid. Everyone started running [in] the street,” he told the BBC, recounting the strikes on crowded areas, including the defense ministry.
The Israeli military stated it also struck a military target near the presidential palace, along with armored vehicles en route to Suweida and weapons storage facilities in southern Syria.
Humanitarian Crisis in Suweida
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported a rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Suweida city. Clashes were reported in multiple areas, with tanks allegedly attacking the national hospital, causing panic among the wounded. Acute shortages of water and medical supplies were also noted.
The Syrian health ministry later announced that government forces had entered the hospital and discovered “dozens of bodies” after the withdrawal of “outlaw groups.” A resident, identified as Hosam, shared his experience of civilians coming under fire from artillery and snipers, witnessing the death of a neighbor unable to receive medical attention.
The SOHR estimates over 300 individuals have perished in Suweida province since Sunday. These figures include 69 Druze fighters and 40 civilians, with 27 civilians reportedly summarily killed by government forces. At least 165 members of Syrian government forces and 18 Bedouin tribal fighters were also killed in the internal fighting, while 10 government personnel died in Israeli strikes. The BBC could not independently verify these casualty figures.
The conflict in Suweida reportedly originated from the abduction of a Druze merchant last Friday. Druze fighters subsequently surrounded and seized a Bedouin-inhabited neighborhood, escalating into wider clashes across the province.
Earlier this year, Benjamin Netanyahu called for the complete demilitarization of Suweida and neighboring provinces, citing a threat from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a designated terrorist organization formerly affiliated with al-Qaeda. Israel has conducted numerous strikes across Syria to neutralize its military assets since the fall of the Assad regime and has deployed troops into the UN-monitored buffer zone between the occupied Golan Heights and Syria.
