Israel ups Syria attacks in defense of Druze, moves troops north

Galit Altstein, Kateryna Kadabashy, Bloomberg News on Jul 16, 2025

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Israel intensified attacks on Syria on Wednesday, striking the military headquarters in Damascus and moving more troops to the border area in a bid, officials said, to prevent attacks against the Syrian Druze community.

Israeli forces have stepped up operations in Syria since Monday after deadly fighting between Druze, Bedouin groups and Syrian troops in the southern area of Suwayda. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said nearly 250 people have been killed in the clashes in recent days, with more than 20 being executed. Almost 140 of those are members of the Syrian security forces, the SOHR said.

Israel is accusing the new Syrian government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa of directing fighting against the Druze, a minority group the Jewish state has pledged to protect. The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also says it’s acting because a build of Syrian troops near the Israeli border is a security threat.

Syria’s been devastated by civil war since 2011 and al-Sharaa, who led a group that overthrew Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December, is still trying to gain full control over large swaths of the country and its institutions, including the military.

Israel’s strikes are raising regional tensions. The Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Saudi Arabia, described them as an irresponsible escalation from Israel that’s likely to further destabilize Syria. The U.S. also expressed concern, though stopped short of calling on Israel to halt its actions.

“We’re very concerned about it,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in Washington on Wednesday. “We want it to stop. We’re talking to both sides, all relevant sides, on this, and hopefully can bring it to a conclusion.”

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—With assistance from Patrick Sykes, Ethan Bronner, Sara Gharaibeh and Eric Martin.