Israel Strikes Syrian Army Headquarters and Suwayda Amid Renewed Clashes

The Israeli military confirmed on Tuesday that it had conducted an airstrike targeting the entrance of the Syrian army’s headquarters in Damascus. The announcement followed reports of a powerful explosion heard across the Syrian capital.

In a separate development, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated that it had launched attacks on the southern Syrian city of Suwayda, which has a majority Druze population. The military noted it was “prepared for various scenarios” as tensions in the region escalated. According to Syrian state media, Israeli drone strikes on Suwayda resulted in civilian casualties.

The strikes come amid renewed hostilities in Suwayda, where clashes between armed factions and Syrian government forces resumed earlier in the day, despite a ceasefire agreement reached just 24 hours earlier.

Israeli officials have maintained that their actions are aimed at protecting the Druze community. The Druze, a religious minority that emerged in the 10th century as a distinct offshoot of Ismaili Shia Islam, have a significant presence in Syria, which is home to over half of the estimated one million Druze worldwide. Substantial Druze populations also reside in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights—a territory Israel captured from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and unilaterally annexed in 1981.

The latest developments underscore growing volatility in southern Syria and highlight Israel's evolving security posture in response to shifting regional dynamics.