Israeli military strikes near Syria’s presidential palace after warning over attacks

Israel’s air force struck near Syria’s presidential palace early Friday after warning Syrian authorities not to march toward villages inhabited by members of a minority sect in southern Syria.

The strike came after days of clashes between pro-Syrian government gunmen and fighters who belong to the Druze minority sect near the capital, Damascus. The clashes left dozens of people dead or wounded.

Late Friday, intense Israeli airstrikes were reported in different parts of Damascus and its suburbs as well as the southern and central Syria, Syrian media outlets said.

Syria’s presidency condemned the Israeli airstrike, calling it a “dangerous escalation against state institutions and the soveignty of the state.” It called on the international community to stand by Syria, saying that such attacks “target Syria national security and the unity of the Syrian people.”

Friday’s strike was Israel’s second on Syria this week, and attacking an area close to the presidential palace appears to send a strong warning to Syria’s new leadership that is mostly made up of Islamist groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

On Thursday, Syria’s Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri harshly criticized Syria’s government for what he called an “unjustified genocidal attack” on the minority community.

Early Friday, the Druze religious leadership said that the community is part of Syria and refuses to break away from the country, adding that the role of the state should be activated in the southern province of Sweida and authorities should be in control of the Sweida-Damascus highway.

“We confirm our commitment to a country that includes all Syrians, a nation that is free of strife,” the statement said.

Lebanon warns Hamas

Elsewhere, Lebanese authorities warned the Hamas terrorist group Friday that it would face the “harshest measures” if it carried out any attacks from Lebanon.

The warning by the Higher Defense Council, Lebanon’s top military body, came weeks after several Lebanese and Palestinians were detained on suspicion of firing rockets from Lebanon into northern Israel.

“Hamas and other factions will not be allowed to endanger national stability,” the council said. “The safety of Lebanon’s territories is above all.”

“The harshest measures will be taken to put a complete end to any act that infringes on Lebanon’s sovereignty,” according to a statement that was read by Brig. Gen. Mohammed al-Mustafa.

The council’s statement quoted Prime Minister Nawaf Salam as saying that all “illegal weapons” should be handed over to the state.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to visit Lebanon later this month.

Drones strike ship

Meanwhile, drones attacked a vessel carrying aid to Gaza on Friday in international waters off Malta, the group organizing the shipment said.

A nearby tugboat responded to a distress call from the Conscience, which authorities said experienced a fire that was brought under control. The vessel was carrying 12 crew members and four civilians, the Maltese government said, adding that those aboard refused to leave the ship. The group was safe and no serious injuries were reported, it said.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition accused Israel of attacking its ship. The group did not provide evidence for that claim or to show that the fire was caused by drones, but in a video it shared an explosion could be heard. Another video showed a fire blazing.

The Israeli army did not respond to a request for comment. Israel has cut off Gaza from all imports.

Israel says the blockade is an attempt to pressure Hamas to release hostages it took during the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack that triggered the conflict. Hamas-led terrorists assaulted southern Israel that day, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Hamas is still holding 59 hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive.

In response, Israel launched an offensive that has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians.

Israeli forces to demolish homes

Israeli forces were preparing on Friday to carry out home demolitions across two northern urban refugee camps in the West Bank, according to the governor of one of the camps and Israeli military documents shared with The Associated Press by the United Nations.

Abdallah Kamil, the governor of Tulkarem, wrote on Facebook on Thursday that the military was preparing to demolish 116 homes across the Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps, two main targets of Israel’s raid into the northern West Bank.

The Israeli military said in a statement that it was implementing changes in the camps “to improve mobility for the soldiers” and prevent militancy. The military said that it had tried to minimize the number of buildings affected and invited the public to “contact the authorities to explore options for evacuating their belongings from buildings.”

Two demolition orders indicated that the buildings would be demolished in 24 hours, according to military documents shared by a U.N. official on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.