Late Friday, intense Israeli airstrikes were reported in different parts of Damascus and its suburbs as well as the southern and central Syria, Syrian media outlets said. Associated Press journalists in Damascus said the airstrikes lasted for more than one hour until after midnight. Syria's presidency condemned the Israeli airstrike, calling it a “dangerous escalation against state institutions and the soveignty of the state.” It called on the international community to stand by Syria, saying that such attacks “target Syria national security and the unity of the Syrian people.” Friday's strike was Israel's second on Syria this week, and attacking an area close to the presidential palace appears to send a strong warning to Syria's new leadership that is mostly made up of Islamist groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
Israel’s air force struck near Syria’s presidential palace early Friday after warning Syrian authorities not to march toward villages inhabited by members of a minority sect in southern Syria. The strike came after days of clashes between pro-Syrian government gunmen and fighters who belong to the Druze minority sect near the capital, Damascus. The clashes left dozens of people dead or wounded.
Israel's repeated strikes on Syria act as a warning to the new Islamist rulers in Damascus, which Israel views as a potential threat on its border. Israel has not confirmed the strikes on Friday. The Israeli army has previously said it targeted Syria's military infrastructure, including headquarters and sites containing weapons and equipment, since mainly Sunni Muslim Islamist fighters toppled President Bashar al-Assad in December. Earlier on Friday, Israel bombed an area near the presidential palace in Damascus, in its clearest warning yet to Syria's new Islamist-led authorities of its readiness to ramp up military action, which has included strikes it said were in support of the country's Druze minority. Israel bombed Syria frequently when the country was governed by Assad, targeting a foothold established by his ally Iran during the civil war.
