Israeli occupation forces have deployed across southern Syria, citing the need to protect the Druze minority, a day after carrying out more than 20 airstrikes across the country. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights/SOHR described the attack as "the heaviest since the beginning of the year".
In a brief statment today, the Israeli occupation army confirmed its presence in southern Syria, asserting readiness to block "hostile forces" from entering Druze-majority areas.
The announcement comes in the aftermath of deadly sectarian clashes that broke out between armed groups linked to Syrian security forces and local Druze fighters last week. The violence was sparked by a fake audio recording that insulted Islam, leaving dozens dead and injured.
The statement also stated that the occupation forces had "evacuated five injured Syrian Druze civilians overnight for medical treatment in Israel."
The Druze are a small religious minority present in Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. Approximately 24,000 Druze live in the Syrian Golan Heights, which has been under Israeli occupation since 1967.
Syrian state media, SANA, reported that a civilian was killed in the airstrikes. Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation army said it targeted military infrastructure near Damascus and other areas.
Israeli military spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, posted on X that the attacks struck an anti-aircraft battery, a missile site, and other military facilities. "The Israeli army will continue to act as necessary to protect Israeli civilians," he wrote.
The airstrikes follow an earlier strike near the Syrian presidential palace in Damascus on Friday morning, condemned by the Syrian presidency as a "dangerous escalation."
According to the SOHR, Israel launched more than 20 airstrikes on Deraa, Rif Dimashq, and Hama, targeting warehouses and military centers, in addition to raids on the Hama and Lattakia countryside yesterday evening
The presidency warned it would not compromise on national security and vowed to continue its "resistance path" in response to the attacks.
Damascus also urged the international community to take action to stop what it described as Israel's "systematic and repeated aggression," not only in Syria, but across the region. It rejected Israel's justification of such strikes as self defense, accusing it instead of conducting full-scale attacks under the pretext of countering threats.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant had warned earlier that Israel would act decisively if the Syrian government failed to protect the Druze population. "If attacks on the Druze resume and the Syrian regime fails to prevent them, Israel will respond with significant force," he said.
less than 24 hours after the collapse of Bashar Al-Assad's regime, Israel moved swiftly to assert control over the demilitarized zone along the Syrian border. Its forces advanced into the Mount Hermon area adjacent to the occupied Golan Heights, citing the need to prevent militia advances.
Since then, Israel has ramped up military operations in Syria, launching hundreds of strikes, primarily on military targets.
According to Rami Abdul Rahman, head of the SOHR, Israel has destroyed more than 80 percent of Syria's military infrastructure, including fighter jets, helicopters, and warships. Israel has justified its campaign by claiming it aims to prevent weapons once controlled by the former regime from falling into the hands of the new authorities.
On 27 November, the armed group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (formerly Jabhat Al-Nusra) launched a surprise attack on regime forces. Within ten days, the regime collapsed, with Syrian troops retreating and Assad fleeing to Russia, where he was granted asylum.
