Israel launched a powerful airstrike near Syria’s presidential palace in Damascus, marking its second strike in 48 hours. The move comes amid deadly sectarian clashes targeting the Druze community. Over 50 people have reportedly been killed. Israel warns Assad’s regime against further attacks on minorities, as extremist influence grows near its borders. Tensions are growing in the region.
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00:00In a significant escalation, Israel launched an airstrike near the Syrian presidential palace in Damascus on May 2nd, 2025.
00:10This marks the second Israeli attack in Syria within 48 hours, and comes amid growing sectarian violence targeting the Druze community in southern Syria.
00:21The strike, carried out by Israeli fighter jets, was reportedly a strong warning to the Syrian leadership, particularly after widespread clashes broke out between pro-government forces and Druze fighters.
00:39The tensions were sparked by the circulation of a controversial audio clip, allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammad.
00:47The clip was falsely attributed to a Druze cleric, which provoked outrage and violent confrontations.
00:59Although the cleric denied the accusation, the unrest quickly intensified.
01:05Heavy clashes erupted in the Damascus suburbs of Sana'a and Jaramana, areas with large Druze populations.
01:12According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 56 people were killed in the violence, including fighters and civilians.
01:24Syria's Information Ministry separately confirmed that 11 members of its security forces had been killed in ambushes and attacks during the same period.
01:33Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, the spiritual leader of Syria's Druze community, condemned the Syrian government's actions,
01:47labelling them a genocidal campaign against the Druze.
01:51His strong statement drew immediate international attention, prompting Israel to issue a rare and direct military response.
01:59Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with Defense Minister Israel Katz,
02:11said the strike near the presidential compound was meant to send a clear message to Syria's ruling authorities.
02:18They reiterated Israel's commitment to protecting the Druze population, particularly in areas close to Israeli borders.
02:25The current leadership in Syria, which is increasingly influenced by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham,
02:38has been struggling to maintain control amid growing instability.
02:43The situation has raised alarms in Israel, especially with the possibility of extremist factions gaining ground close to the Golan Heights,
02:52a region Israel annexed from Syria in 1981 after capturing it during the 1967 Six-Day War.
03:06The Druze are a small religious minority with historical roots in Shiite Islam.
03:12In Syria, they are mainly concentrated in the southern province of Sueda and parts of Damascus.
03:18Their communities also exist in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights.
03:29This latest airstrike underscores Israel's intent to prevent further sectarian violence
03:36and to assert its strategic interests in the region.
03:39This has been a very vulnerable to the dams of Austin's
04:04ALания and many of them have displaced troops in Afghanistan.