Israel announced on Wednesday that its forces struck near the entrance of the Syrian Defense Ministry’s headquarters in Damascus. 

“The IDF continues to monitor developments and the regime’s actions against Druze civilians in southern Syria. Following directives from the political echelon, the IDF is conducting strikes in the area and is prepared for various scenarios,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated on X.

On Wednesday, an Israeli military official commented that despite the Syrian regime’s claims of restoring order, the reality on the ground tells a “very different story.” The official noted that the more the regime gets involved, “the worse it gets.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement affirming that Israeli forces were “acting to save our Druze brothers and eliminate the regime’s gangs,” and warned Druze in Israel against entering Syria.

“I have one request of you: You are citizens of Israel. Do not cross the border,” Netanyahu said on Wednesday. “You are endangering your lives; you could be killed, you could be kidnapped, and you are harming the IDF’s efforts. Therefore, I ask you, return to your homes, let the IDF do its work.”

Israel is acting in defense of the Druze minority in southern Syria, which has been involved in violent clashes recently. (Reuters)

The Druze are a prominent minority in Israel, where members of the community hold key military positions. In 2015, Col. Ghassan Alian, who is Druze, became the first non-Jewish commander of the Golani Brigade. Additionally, unlike other minorities in Israel, Druze males are not exempt from conscripted military service.

“Israel is committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria due to the deep brotherhood alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel, and their familial and historical connection to the Druze in Syria – and we are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them, and to ensure the demilitarization of the area adjacent to our border with Syria,” a joint statement by Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz read.

Security forces loyal to the interim Syrian government ride in the back of a vehicle moving along a road in Syria’s western city of Latakia on March 9, 2025.  (OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images)

The latest unrest in Syria began with kidnappings and attacks between the Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze armed factions in the southern part of the country, according to the Associated Press. Syrian regime forces operating to restore order have also clashed with the Druze and have reportedly been carrying out extrajudicial killings and looting and burning civilian homes. 

In March, Syria’s al Qaeda-linked regime killed members of the Alawite and Christian communities. Former Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose regime was toppled in December by Ahmed al-Sharaa and his group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham — a U.S.-designated terror organization, is a member of the Alawite community.