Israeli Airstrike Hits Syrian General Staff HQ in Damascus Amid Escalating Threats Over Suwayda Clashes

Watan-An Israeli airstrike on Wednesday targeted the Syrian military’s General Staff building in central Damascus, according to Syrian state television. The strike came just hours after the Israeli military confirmed it had attacked the same site earlier in the day.

State TV reported via Telegram:”An aggression by Israeli occupation aircraft near the General Staff building in Umayyad Square, Damascus.”

The Syrian Ministry of Health said that one person was killed and 18 others injured in the Israeli raids on Damascus, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), though it did not specify the nature of the injuries.

Media reports said that the injuries resulted from shattered glass, concrete, and steel fragments from the building, damaging vehicles in Umayyad Square and the Umayyad Tunnel, with a large number of cars reportedly severely affected.

A powerful explosion was heard across large parts of the capital shortly after the first airstrike, which also targeted the Defense Ministry, located in the same building.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli military announced that it had targeted the entrance to the General Staff complex in Damascus. The statement came after it warned the Syrian government to withdraw its forces from the city of Suwayda, where deadly clashes between Druze and Bedouins have continued for four days.

“We struck the entry gate to the General Staff complex in Damascus,” the Israeli army said in a statement.

State media reported that two civilians were wounded in the airstrike in central Damascus.

“Syria TV” also reported heightened security and gunfire near the General Staff building, noting chaos and tension in the surrounding area following the Israeli strike.

Israeli Defense Minister: “Now is the Time for Painful Strikes”

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz stated on Wednesday that the warnings to Syria are over and that “now is the time for painful strikes.” He added that southern Syria must become a demilitarized zone.

Katz confirmed that the Israeli army would continue striking Syrian Armed Forces targets, claiming it was to protect the Druze community and prevent “security threats” near Israel’s borders.

Speaking at a conference in Tel Aviv, Katz told Yedioth Ahronoth: “As we’ve said, we are protecting the Druze in Syria. Southern Syria will become a demilitarized zone.”

He noted that the Israeli military had carried out intensive strikes in the past 24 hours, including one near the General Staff HQ in Damascus, warning that further escalation could follow if Syria does not get the message.

Katz said ongoing discussions were being held on how to act precisely to avoid harming Druze civilians while still ensuring Israel’s security interests.

Earlier Wednesday, Katz had threatened continued strikes if Syrian forces did not withdraw from Suwayda, where fighting has erupted between Druze and Bedouin factions.

Deadly Clashes in Suwayda and Israeli Military Buildup

This comes amid heightened tensions among Druze communities in Israel following the sectarian fighting in Suwayda, a Druze-majority province in southern Syria.

In parallel, the Israeli military announced the reinforcement of its forces along the Syrian border, warning that it will not tolerate military threats from southern Syria.

IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a statement:“Based on an assessment of the situation, it was decided to reinforce the number of troops along the Syrian border in the security fence area.”

Death Toll in Suwayda Clashes Rises to 248

The death toll in Suwayda has risen to 248 people since violent clashes began on Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Wednesday.

The casualties include:

• 64 Druze fighters

• 28 civilians, including 21 executed on the spot by forces from the Ministries of Defense and Interior

• 138 government troops

• 18 Bedouin fighters

Agence France-Presse reporters also confirmed the sound of intermittent shelling across Suwayda on Wednesday morning.