Middle East: Israel attacks Syria’s military leadership in Damascus

In the middle of the intensifying violence in Syria, the neighboring country of Israel bombed the center of Damascus. According to its own statements, the Israeli army attacked the military headquarters. She made this in connection with the outbreak of violence in the south of the country: the Syrian government’s procedure against the Drusen is observed. Shortly after the attack on the headquarters, there were further severe explosions on the site, on which the Ministry of Defense also lies.

Almost at the same time, Israel’s army attacked the presidential palace in Damascus, according to his own representation, and explained that there was a “military goal”. The palace is the official seat of President Ahmed al-Sharaa. It was unclear where Al-Sharaa, the Syrian Minister and other senior government members were at the time of the attacks. According to official Syrian information, 13 people were injured in Damascus.

With the air strikes, Israel’s military intervened much more than before in the violence in the neighboring country, which has been ongoing for days. According to Israeli media, the military is preparing for multi -day missions in Syria. In the south of Syria, fights between Drusian militias and Sunni Bedouins broke out, whereupon the Syrian government sent troops and other security forces.

According to human rights activists, more than 300 people have been killed since Sunday, including more than 20 that have been “executed”. Among them are around 180 government troops and security forces, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Army circles confirmed death figures in their ranks of a similar amount. Drusian sources confirmed that more than 250 people had been killed in Suwaida.

Why does Israel intervene in Syria?

According to its own statements, Israel wants to protect the Drusen with the attacks on the Syrian government troops. Israel feels committed to her protection, also because many drouses serve in the Israeli military. They are a religious minority that emerged from Shiite Islam. The majority of you live in Syria, but also in Israel, Lebanon and Jordan. The Syrian province of Suwaida in the south is its stronghold.

The Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz announced: “The Syrian regime has to leave the Drusen in Suwaida alone and pull off his troops.” The military will strengthen its attacks on the Syrian troops, “if the message does not arrive”. According to observers, Israel would also like to strengthen the Drusen in order to prevent the Iran supported in areas near my own border or Islamist groups.

Many Syrian druses reject Israel’s intervention and fear interference from outside in Syrian affairs. In Suwaida, Drusian militias defend the local community. This defends itself against the state influence of Damascus and also against the government’s attempts to dissolve drusian militias.

Israel’s military attack on the neighboring country also violates the principles of international law in a blatant manner. He therefore causes international outrage.

How do Israel and Syria stand together?

Both countries have actually been officially at war since Israel was founded in 1948. Israel has held the Syrian Golan heights in violation of international law since 1967. Due to the fall of Syria’s ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, which was allied with Israel’s arch enemy Iran, an approach between Israel and Syria seemed at least possible. The United States also sees Syria as an important country trying to integrate Israel more in the Middle East region and increase the pressure on Iran.

The denominational tensions also show that a deal hoped for by the USA can not be reached quickly via a possible approach of the two countries.

As on Tuesday, some Drusen from Israel tried to cross the border with Syria on Wednesday to support other drouses there. The leader of the Drusen in Israel at the same time put pressure on the Israeli leadership to intervene in the conflict in the neighboring country.

According to Israel’s army, “dozens of suspects” tried to get from Syria to Israel, controlled. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights explained to the German Press Agency that it was Syrian Drusen who were looking for protection in Israel.

How does the Syrian government feel about the Drusian minority?

The government has declared that they want to provide stability in the south and to protect civilians. According to the findings of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the government’s troops and security forces are fighting on the side of Sunni Bedouins and fighting against Drusian militias.

On the Internet, photos and videos of violence and humiliation towards the Drusen were also circulating on the Internet, which were therefore shaved by mustache. For many symbols of dignity and expression of their religious identity. The spiritual leaders of the Drusen were disagree with whether the Drusian militias should cooperate with the government troops or fight them. The distrust of the new rulers in Damascus is still great.

The government in Damascus called on the security forces for discipline. The observation center reported looting and vandalism, sometimes government troops and their allies had also laid fire.

What do the fights say about the situation in Syria?

The new violence comes into focus again on denominational tensions in Syria. From 2011, a bloody civil war with hundreds of thousands of dead and millions of displaced people raged in the country. When Assad was overthrown in December, there was hope that the new government would cause new stability. Since then, however, violence has occurred repeatedly with hundreds of dead.

The victims of the fights are again primarily civilians who have had to experience violence and displacement again and again in Syria. Many people fled out of the area to get to safety. Photos and videos showed families who left Suwaida in the direction of neighboring villages. Because Suwaida is mainly supplied with goods from Damascus, concern grows from a scarcity of life and drugs. The situation in the local hospital should be catastrophic.