Israel struck the Syrian army’s headquarters in Damascus on Wednesday and threatened further military action as clashes between government forces and Druze armed groups intensified in southern Syria.
The Israel Defence Forces said they bombed the entrance gate of the Syrian regime’s military headquarters after a ceasefire collapsed in the Druze-majority city of Sweida.
“The IDF struck the entrance of the Syrian regime’s military headquarters in the area of Damascus in Syria,” the IDF said in a post on X following the sound of an explosion in Syria’s capital.
Israeli forces said they continue monitoring developments and the regime’s actions against Druze civilians. “In accordance with directives from the political echelon, the IDF is striking in the area and remains prepared for various scenarios,” the post read.
⭕️The IDF struck the entrance of the Syrian regime's military headquarters in the area of Damascus in Syria.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) July 16, 2025
The IDF continues to monitor developments and the regime's actions against Druze civilians in southern Syria. In accordance with directives from the political echelon,… pic.twitter.com/WSyBFrCiog
Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli drones targeted Damascus, killing civilians according to the Syrian news agency. Israel has launched multiple airstrikes on government force convoys in southern Syria since clashes erupted and reinforced border troops, saying it is protecting the Druze minority.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that Israeli forces “will continue to attack regime forces until they withdraw from the area — and will also soon raise the bar of responses against the regime if the message is not understood.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel has “a commitment to preserve the southwestern region of Syria as a demilitarised area on Israel’s border” and “an obligation to safeguard the Druze locals.”
The Israeli escalation came as fighting resumed in Sweida despite a ceasefire agreement reached on Tuesday. Syria’s Defence Ministry blamed militias in Sweida for violating the agreement, forcing Syrian army soldiers to return fire.
“Military forces continue to respond to the source of fire inside the city of Sweida, while adhering to rules of engagement to protect residents, prevent harm, and ensure the safe return of those who left the city back to their homes,” the ministry said.
The violence began with tit-for-tat kidnappings and attacks between local Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze armed factions. Government forces intervening to restore order have also clashed with the Druze, whilst reports emerged of security forces carrying out extrajudicial killings, looting and burning civilian homes.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 250 people had been killed as of Wednesday morning, including four children, five women and 138 soldiers and security forces. The observatory said at least 21 people were killed in “field executions.”
Syria’s Interior Ministry last reported 30 deaths on Monday, with no official casualty figures released since.
Syria’s new rulers have struggled to consolidate control since Islamist insurgent groups ousted President Bashar Assad in December, ending a nearly 14-year civil war. The primarily Sunni Muslim leaders have faced suspicion from religious and ethnic minorities.
More than half the roughly one million Druze worldwide live in Syria, with most others in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in 1967 and annexed in 1981. In Israel, the Druze are considered a loyal minority and often serve in the military.
Syrian Druze have been divided over the country’s new leaders, with some advocating integration whilst others remain suspicious of Damascus authorities and push for an autonomous Druze region.
Israel has taken an aggressive stance toward Syria’s new leaders since Assad’s fall, saying it does not want Islamist militants near its borders. Israeli forces have seized a UN-patrolled buffer zone on Syrian territory along the Golan Heights border and launched hundreds of airstrikes on Syrian military sites.
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