Middle East | Israeli forces bomb Damascus
Following the fierce fighting between members of the Druze minority, pro-government militias, and state security forces in Syria, Israel's air force attacked several targets in the capital Damascus. Targets near the presidential palace were hit, the military said. According to media reports, the Israeli leadership also plans to decide on a possible escalation of attacks in the Gaza Strip.
"This is a clear message to the Syrian regime. We will not allow troops to be sent south of Damascus or the Druze community to be threatened," Israeli newspapers quoted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz as saying in a joint statement on the attacks in Syria.
Israel speaks of protecting the DruzeThe Druze are a religious minority that today resides primarily in Syria, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon. The religious community emerged from Shiite Islam in the 11th century. In Israel, many Druze volunteer for the army—the Jewish state sees them as allies.
Recently, Syria has seen heavy clashes between Sunni militias and Druze gunmen. According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 100 people have been killed since the beginning of the week.
Over 100 dead in fighting in SyriaEven before the airstrike on Damascus, Israeli Defense Minister Katz had warned the Syrian leadership against new attacks on the Druze minority . The Israeli Air Force had already struck targets in Syria several times on Wednesday. According to Israeli military sources, people attacking Druze were fired upon near Damascus.
After negotiations, the Druze in the south of the country agreed to hand over their heavy weapons. In return, a new Druze military unit will be established in Suwayda province under the supervision of the Ministry of Defense, the German Press Agency learned from sources within the religious minority. The unit is intended to ensure security in the region. A security agreement has also been concluded between the government and local militias in Jaramana, near the capital Damascus.
Protests by Druze reservists in IsraelMeanwhile, Druze in Israel protested against the violence their fellow believers are experiencing in Syria. According to a report by the news portal "ynet," they blocked several rural roads and demanded a more decisive response from the Israeli government to combat the bloodshed in the neighboring country. Israeli Defense Forces reservists were among the demonstrators.
According to media reports, the demonstrators also marched toward Prime Minister Netanyahu's residence in Caesarea. Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Mowafak Tarif called on the demonstrators to end the road blockades and go home.
The US government also condemned the violence in Syria. "The transitional government must cease the fighting, hold perpetrators accountable for their actions, and ensure the safety of all Syrians," said US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce. dpa/nd
The nd.Genossenschaft belongs to our readers and authors. Through the cooperative, we guarantee the independence of our editorial team and strive to make our texts accessible to everyone—even if they don't have the money to help finance our work.
We don't have a hard paywall on our website out of conviction. However, this also means that we have to repeatedly ask everyone who can contribute to help finance our journalism. This is stressful, not only for our readers, but also for our authors, and sometimes it becomes too much.
Nevertheless: Only together can we defend left-wing positions!
With your support we can continue to:→ Provide independent and critical reporting. → Cover issues overlooked elsewhere. → Create a platform for diverse and marginalized voices. → Speak out against misinformation and hate speech.
→ Accompany and deepen social debates from the left.
nd-aktuell
