IDF strikes in Syria amid violence against Druze community

Overnight, five wounded Syrian Druze civilians were evacuated to receive medical treatment at Ziv Medical Center in Safed, the Galilee, the Israeli military said.

By Charles Bybelezer, JNS

The Israeli Air Force attacked several targets in Syria overnight Friday, including a military installation, anti-aircraft cannons and surface-to-air missile infrastructure, the military said.

“The IDF will continue to operate as necessary to defend Israeli civilians,” the statement read.

Syria’s state news agency SANA reported that Israeli airstrikes targeted sites near Damascus, in the western governorate of Hama, and in the southern region of Daraa.

The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is affiliated with opposition sources, said the IDF carried out more than 20 strikes in what it called the “heaviest” Israeli offensive in the country in 2025.

Overnight, five wounded Syrian Druze civilians were evacuated to receive medical treatment at Ziv Medical Center in Safed, the Galilee, the Israeli military said.

The IDF is deployed in southern Syria and is prepared to prevent the entry of hostile forces into the area of Druze villages, the army continued. The IDF continues to monitor developments with readiness for defense and various scenarios.

The development followed an Israeli operation on Thursday night that targeted an area near the presidential palace in Damascus. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it “a clear message to the Syrian regime.”

“We will not allow regime forces to move south of Damascus or to pose any danger to the Druze community,” Netanyahu said in a joint statement with Defense Minister Israel Katz.

The operation came after Jerusalem warned Damascus to prevent sectarian attacks targeting Syria’s Druze population.

On Thursday, the IDF said it was “prepared to prevent the infiltration of hostile elements into the area and nearby Druze villages,” adding that it “continues to monitor developments closely and maintains a high level of readiness for potential defense scenarios.”

A day earlier, Israeli forces carried out a targeted strike on a Syrian Sunni Islamist group reportedly planning attacks on Druze communities in the Rif Dimashq (“Damascus Suburb”) Governorate.

Israel’s intervention comes amid growing appeals from its Druze population—about 150,000 people—including the community’s spiritual leader, Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif.

“At this moment, the eyes and hearts of the Druze community are turned toward the harm being done to Druze villages around Damascus,” Tarif wrote, urging “the State of Israel, the international community, and the Jewish people to act immediately to prevent a mass slaughter.”

Protests erupted this past week in Israel, with Druze demonstrators blocking roads and rallying outside Netanyahu’s private residence in Caesarea. The demonstrations were called off overnight Thursday after Tarif appealed for calm while talks continued with government officials.

The latest violence in Syria was triggered by the circulation of an audio recording attributed to a Druze man who allegedly insulted the prophet Mohammed.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that more than 100 people have been killed in the ensuing clashes, including nine executed.

On Thursday, the U.S. State Department condemned the violence and “inflammatory rhetoric” directed at the Druze as “reprehensible and unacceptable.”

“Interim authorities must stop the fighting, hold perpetrators of violence and civilian harm accountable, and ensure the security of all Syrians,” said department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.