Israeli bombardment of Damascus

In a provocative escalation that underscores Israel’s growing interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states, Israeli warplanes bombarded key military sites in Syria’s capital, Damascus, on Wednesday. The strikes hit the Ministry of Defence headquarters and landed near the presidential palace, signaling a dangerous shift in Tel Aviv’s military posture toward Syria amid ongoing tensions in the southern city of Suwayda.

The air raids, reportedly involving at least four direct hits on central military facilities, resulted in massive explosions and clouds of smoke blanketing parts of the capital. Syrian state media confirmed that one person was killed and 18 others injured, citing data from the Ministry of Health. These attacks follow a wave of Israeli drone strikes earlier in the day, and come on the heels of violent clashes between Syrian government troops and armed factions in Suwayda, a historically Druze-majority city.

Israel has attempted to justify its aggression by claiming to defend Syria’s Druze population, a justification that rings hollow given the broader geopolitical context. The Druze in Suwayda have historically distanced themselves from Israeli influence, and there is no indication that the community has requested or welcomed this foreign military involvement.

From the ground in Damascus, correspondents described the panic caused by the unmistakable sound of Israeli jets in Syrian airspace, a flagrant violation of Syrian sovereignty. “This is not just another air strike,” a regional observer noted. “It is a calculated move to pressure the Syrian leadership into military withdrawal from southern territory.”

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, speaking through social media, openly threatened further attacks, stating that Israel’s “warnings are over” and promising more “painful blows” if the Syrian army does not retreat from Suwayda. The Israeli military, bolstering its presence along the Golan Heights, a region illegally occupied since 1967, claimed responsibility for targeting Syrian military convoys and declared its intention to continue operations until Druze fighters are no longer confronted by government forces.

The resurgence of violence in Suwayda erupted after a temporary ceasefire, announced by the Syrian government on Tuesday, rapidly disintegrated. Damascus blames “armed groups operating outside the law” for violating the truce. The Syrian Ministry of Defence reported that safe corridors had been opened to allow civilians to evacuate the embattled city.

According to regional monitoring groups, the conflict has already claimed hundreds of lives. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported over 250 dead, including civilians, children, and more than 130 Syrian soldiers and security personnel. Eyewitness accounts describe field executions and indiscriminate violence fueled by long-standing tensions between local Druze militias and Sunni Bedouin tribes.

The unrest has even spilled across the border. Hundreds of Israeli Druze gathered at the Israeli-Syrian fence, with some crossing into Syrian territory to support their ethnic kin. Prime Minister Netanyahu, apparently unsettled by this civilian mobilization, urged Israeli Druze to refrain from involvement, warning of abductions and security disruptions.

However, Israel’s so-called humanitarian concern masks deeper strategic ambitions. Since the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad and the rise of a new Syrian leadership under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Israel has conducted relentless air strikes across Syria, under the guise of targeting weapon depots and militant strongholds. This policy of persistent aggression reflects Tel Aviv’s desire to maintain regional dominance and prevent any stabilisation in post-war Syria, particularly one not aligned with Western or Israeli interests.

In a controversial and telling move, the United States recently removed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a dominant group in Syria’s new government coalition, from its list of foreign terrorist organizations. This decision, part of Washington’s attempt to reintegrate Syria into the global political framework, raises serious questions about the West’s selective application of international law and moral standards.

American officials have since expressed concern over the Israeli attacks. Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented that Washington is “working on the issue,” suggesting the U.S. was caught off guard by Israel’s decision to escalate the conflict so publicly. Analysts believe this mismatch reveals growing discord between Tel Aviv’s militaristic agenda and Washington’s broader efforts to stabilize the region through reconstruction.

What triggered the flare-up in Suwayda was reportedly the kidnapping of a Druze merchant by Bedouin factions. This, followed by a social media wave of gruesome videos showing abuses and retaliatory violence, stoked communal tensions. Despite government efforts to forge peace and integrate local militias into the new national structure, mistrust and factionalism remain deeply entrenched.

Syrian analyst Samy Akil argues that the unrest highlights a deeper failure of the central government to implement an inclusive power-sharing model that ensures true representation of all social components. Meanwhile, Israel has exploited the instability by aligning itself with influential Druze clerics such as Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, whose forces have seized government buildings in Suwayda, an action that invited Israeli intervention.

Rather than seeking a peaceful regional settlement, Israel appears intent on preserving chaos and division, undermining Syrian sovereignty in the process. The bombardment of Damascus is not an isolated incident, it is part of a broader imperial strategy to obstruct any rise of independent governance in the region, especially one supported by powers like Russia, Iran, and China. As these strategic players call for respecting Syria’s territorial integrity, Israel’s unilateral strikes reveal a dangerous commitment to perpetuating instability in the heart of the Arab world.