Israel carried out an airstrike near the presidential palace in Damascus overnight, The IDF said Friday, describing the attack as a warning to the Syrian regime amid escalating violence against Syria’s Druze minority.
The strike came in response to what Israeli officials described as a massacre of Druze civilians in Syria’s southern Sweida province, where extremist groups reportedly attacked several villages. The Israeli leaders said the strike was intended to prevent the deployment of hostile forces south of Damascus and to send a “clear message” that threats to the Druze community would not be tolerated.
The Israeli military confirmed the strike after the prime minister’s office released its statement. The Israel Defense Forces said fighter jets targeted an area near the residence of Ahmad Hussein al-Sharaa in Damascus. Military officials described it as a non-lethal “knock on the roof” — a warning strike aimed at an area not designated as a military target, such as an open field.
Lebanon-based Al-Manar TV, affiliated with Hezbollah, aired footage purportedly showing the strike's aftermath, including smoke rising near the presidential palace and the sound of sirens. Hezbollah-aligned Al Mayadeen also reported smoke in the area.
Syrian opposition media and local sources reported that several Druze-populated villages in Sweida — including Lubin, Haran, and Jareen — came under sustained attack Thursday night. Residents said they returned fire at the attackers. SyriaTV reported that local Druze factions repelled a broad assault by extremist groups using mortar shells.
The Syrian government has denied involvement, blaming “outlaw groups not affiliated with the Ministry of Defense or the security apparatus” for the violence.
As international condemnation of the attacks mounted, Syrian Information Minister Hamzah al-Mustafa wrote on Facebook that Syria remains “a homeland for all,” calling for inclusive national dialogue and rejecting incitement and misinformation.
The events sparked protests across northern Israel on Thursday, as hundreds of Druze citizens blocked major highways and lit bonfires at key intersections. Demonstrators demanded Israeli intervention to protect their relatives in Syria, chanting, “We will sacrifice our lives for Sweida.”
Traffic came to a standstill on roads including Highways 6, 85, 65, and 90, with blockages reported at intersections such as Elyakim, Amiad, Kfar Vradim, Eilabun, Kabri, Rama, Tzalmon, and Ein Tut. Police reopened Highway 6 at the Elyakim interchange shortly before midnight.
Around the same time, hundreds of protesters gathered near Netanyahu’s residence in Caesarea, urging him to “honor his promise and act.”
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Druze reservists also organized in response. In closed forums, many expressed anger over what they viewed as Israel’s inadequate response to jihadist threats in Syria. In a letter sent to Netanyahu, Katz, Knesset members, and Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the Association of Druze Veterans wrote that “hundreds of Druze fighters are ready to immediately volunteer and fight alongside our brethren to save them, even at the cost of assuming all risks to our safety and lives.”