FLASH NEWS
Israel bombs outskirts of Syrian president's palace in Damascus, charges Ahmed al-Sharaa with genocide
2025-05-02 09:35:32 / BOTA
Israel has carried out an airstrike in the area around the Presidential Palace in Damascus after the spiritual leader of the Druze community, who enjoys the support of the Israeli government, accused the interim Syrian President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, of "genocide."
The most influential Druze religious leader in Syria, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajrin, denounced last night that an "unjustified campaign of genocide" is being carried out targeting "civilians" from his community, following religious clashes earlier this week that left more than 100 dead, according to a non-governmental organization.
The Druze sheikh called for "immediate intervention by international forces," while Israel, Syria's neighbor and officially still in a state of war with it, warned that it would respond with force if the de facto Syrian authorities did not protect this religious minority.
A few hours later, the Israeli military announced via Telegram that "warplanes struck the outskirts of the presidential palace in Damascus."
"This is a clear message to the Syrian regime. We will not allow Syrian forces to deploy south of Damascus and we will not tolerate any threat to the Druze community," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement, according to the Times of Israel.
Clashes near Damascus and further south, between Druze fighters and armed groups close to the Sunni government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, show that insecurity in Syria continues five months after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, a representative of the Alawite minority.
The UN called on all parties to show maximum restraint, while American diplomacy condemned the violence and divisive rhetoric against the Druze community in Syria, describing it as reprehensible and unacceptable.
Meanwhile, the de facto government in Syria has reaffirmed its strong commitment to guarantee security and to “protect all components of the Syrian people, including the Druze community.”
Following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad on December 8, by a coalition of Islamist factions led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, after a civil war that lasted nearly 14 years, Israel has increased its gestures of support for the Druze, seeking, according to analyst Michael Horowitz, to gain allies and influence in southern Syria, at a time when the country's future remains unclear.
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