What Sparked Israel's Recent Airstrikes Near Syrian Defense Ministry?

Israeli Strikes Target Syrian Defense Ministry

On Wednesday, the Israeli military announced that it had conducted a strike close to the Syrian Ministry of Defence in Damascus. This action coincided with ongoing violence in the southern city of Sweida, where a ceasefire between government forces and Druze armed factions has recently failed.

Israel has been actively targeting government force convoys since the outbreak of these clashes, asserting that its operations aim to safeguard the Druze community.

The Druze, a religious group that originated as a branch of Ismailism in the 10th century, has a significant population in Syria, with over half of the approximately 1 million Druze globally residing there.

In addition to Syria, many Druze also inhabit Lebanon and Israel, particularly in the Golan Heights, a territory Israel seized from Syria during the 1967 Middle East War and subsequently annexed in 1981.