An Israeli airstrike hit an area next to the presidential palace in Damascus, the Syrian capital, on Wednesday, according to a Reuters witness.
This attack near the presidential palace follows the Israeli army’s new strikes launched near the Syrian army and defence ministry headquarters, Syrian television channel said, after earlier attacks.
Live footage revealed by Al Jazeera showed significant damage to the defence ministry in the capital, marking an escalation in Israel’s offensive against Syria.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned the Syrian government earlier on Wednesday to “leave Druze alone” after clashes erupted in the Druze majority Syrian city of Sweida.
Meanwhile, an Israeli military official said that Israel will not let the Syrian army establish a military presence on their shared border and will protect the Druze population in southern Syria from attack.
Additionally, the official said Israel was in close contact with the United States over the situation in Syria, adding that Israel was prepared for any eventuality after launching numerous airstrikes over the past 24 hours on Syrian targets.
He added that the Syrian army was part of the problem, not the solution to the crisis, saying it had done nothing to protect the Druze minority.
This is a developing story and is being updated with more details
