Why is Israel attacking Syria? Israeli airstrikes land in Damascus targeting military headquarters
Israeli military said in a statement on Wednesday (16 July) that it had attacked the entrance gate of the Syrian military headquarters in Damascus.
Syrian state television reported that two people were wounded in central Damascus, without giving the exact location. Israeli defence minister Israel Katz had said on Wednesday that Syrian forces should withdraw from the country’s south.
He added that there would be no let-up in Israeli military attacks until that happened, saying Israel would “raise the level of responses against the regime if the message is not understood”. The Israeli military said it was sending more troops to the border with Syria, claiming that “dozens of suspects” were attempting to “infiltrate Israeli territory”.
Israel has stepped up its military strikes in Syria over the past few days due to clashes that erupted in Sweida province (southern Syria) between the Druze community and Sunni Bedouin clans. At least 248 people have been killed in the Sweida province after several days of clashes, a war monitor said on Wednesday.
Israel, which has strong ties to Druze populations inside its borders, has stated that its strikes aim to shield the Druze in Syria. Prime Minister Netanyahu and the IDF specifically cited this as a key motive.
This morning, three Israeli drones entered Damascus airspace and struck the General Staff building in Umayyad Square – a move the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation described as a message to the Syrian President. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Druze citizens in Israel not to cross the border into Syria, saying on Wednesday the situation there was “very grave” and they could be kidnapped or killed.