Israeli fighters attacked near the presidential palace in Damascus, Syrian capital, early Friday. Israeli leaders said the message was that they were willing to attack deeper into their country after the recent wave of sectarian violence.
More than 100 people have recently been killed in clashes between Syrian pro-government forces and extremists from the country's hay minority.
Druse practices a secret religion with roots in Islam, with some of the people living in Syria having connections with the Israeli Druse community.
Israeli Defense Minister Katz called the strike a “clear warning,” saying that Alshara “woke up and saw the outcome of the Israeli Air Force jet strike, he would understand well that Israel is deciding to prevent harm to Syria's aridity.”
In an earlier statement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Katz said “will not allow the movement of the troops from the south of Damascus and the dangers of hay communities.”
This was the second strike on Friday since violence broke out this week.
But the actions of fighter jets near Damascus's seat of power were an escalation of the demands of Syrian leaders to protect the drying from what they call extremist forces.
Israeli fighters did not immediately reveal the targets they attacked on Friday.
In a statement, Israeli forces mentioned the Syrian president, saying the fighter planes “attacked an area near the palace of Ahmed Hussein Arshala in Damascus.”
Al-Shara, a former Al-Kaeda affiliate who overthrew President Bashar al-Assad in December, is now presenting himself as a politician, but Israeli leaders have expressed vigilance.
An Israeli military spokesman declined to provide details about what was targeted or destroyed by the Jets on Friday.
The strike did not immediately comment from the Syrian government.
By Thursday night, representatives of the Syrian government were in line with Druse's leaders to calm the violence, and leaders in the Sweida region managed by Druse, who had previously been reluctant to unite with government forces, had expressed openness to do so.
Israel has offered to protect Syrian interference if they are attacked amid the country's turbulent transition of power, and has sought to cultivate ties with the Syrian hay community. Many Syrian hay rejected what they consider potentially destructive foreign interference.
However, the Israeli Druse community is asking for Israel to intervene. Friday's strike in Damascus comes after Israeli interfering protesters blocked the highway on Thursday amid increasing demands from members of the community there.
On Thursday, Israeli forces said in a statement that two injured Syrian interfering citizens had evacuated to Israel for medical treatment. Israeli forces evacuated several other Syrian hay wounds with violence earlier that week.
Israeli forces also said Thursday that its forces will be deployed in the southern Syrian region and “is prepared to prevent hostile troops from entering the region and ready to draft a village.”
Israeli Defense Minister Katz said Thursday that if the attack on Druth does not stop, Israel will “respond with great severity,” and that Syrian leaders were responsible for preventing them. “We're committed to protecting hay,” he added.
On Wednesday, Israel launched airstrikes in Syria, threatening to attack government forces if clashes persist between government fighters and members of the Druse militia. Israeli forces said the aircraft had attacked a group of “operatives” who accused them of “attacking arid civilians” for spreading violence around the outskirts of Damascus.
The recent outbreak of sectarian turmoil in Syria began on Tuesday after audio clips circulated on social media claiming to be a hay cleric who violated the prophet Muhammad. The clergy denied the charges and said Syrian Home Affairs Ministry had not been involved.
Nevertheless, armed Sunni Muslim extremist groups began attacking areas with large hay groups, including the town of Jaramana near Damascus. Druse Militias responded effectively, and the government sent security guards to quell the unrest.
On Wednesday, the clashes spread to another town on the southern outskirts of Damascus, and the battle continued until Thursday morning.
Five prominent Druse leaders issued a statement Thursday night that Home Office officials and judicial police “were drawn from the people” in Sweida, saying they were willing to join forces with the government.
They also said government forces are being deployed to secure a path from Sweida to the capital. The government also agreed to send reinforcements to protect Jaramana, the leader of Druse there said.
The US State Department on Thursday called on Syrian government to stop sectarian violence and hold perpetrators accountable. “Recent violent and inflammatory rhetoric targeting members of the Syrian Druse community have been condemned and unacceptable,” spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said. “Denominationalism only sinks Syria and the region into chaos and more violence.”
There are over a million hay in the Middle East, mainly in Syria and Lebanon, with some in Jordan and Israel. People in the Druse community, wherever they are, are generally more likely to participate in the civil and political lives of their citizens, and often tend to serve local military forces despite maintaining clear culture and religious practices.
