Within the past hour, the Israeli Air Force conducted a precision airstrike just meters from the Presidential Palace in Damascus. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strike was meant to send “a clear message to the Syrian regime,” emphasizing that Israel “will not permit any deployment of forces south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community.”

The strike comes despite a lull in fighting over the past 18–24 hours between Druze-majority militias and Syrian government forces, and follows a statement last night by most Druze religious and civil leaders in Suwayda affirming unity with Damascus and requesting government assistance against “separatist elements” in the region.