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Turkey called on Israel to "cease its airstrikes" on Syria, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.
"In this sensitive period for Syria, the international community has a duty to contribute to establishing security and stability in Syria. In this context, Israel must end its airstrikes, which are harming the country's efforts for unity and integrity," wrote ministry spokesman Öncü Keçeli in a statement.
Syrian authorities pledge to protect "all components" of society, including the Druze
Syrian authorities reaffirmed their commitment to "protecting" all segments of society, including the Druze, following deadly fighting near Damascus involving the minority, AFP reported.
"The Syrian Arab Republic reaffirms its firm commitment to protecting all components of the Syrian people without exception, including members of the Druze community, which has always been and remains an integral part of the national fabric," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, expressing "its categorical rejection of any foreign interference" following the Israeli military intervention.
The Israeli army says it evacuated three Syrian Druze injured in Syria to a hospital in Israel.
The Israeli army announced that it had evacuated three Syrian Druze injured in sectarian clashes in Syria to a hospital in Israel, AFP reports.
"Recently, three Syrian Druze citizens were evacuated from Syria to receive medical treatment in Israel," the army said in a statement. It had previously carried out a strike in Syria against an "extremist group" to send a "firm message" to the new central authorities in Damascus to protect the Druze community.
Defense Minister Michel Menassa met the European Union (EU) Ambassador to Lebanon, Sandra De Waele, in Yarzeh, who presented him with the aid program approved by the EU for the Lebanese army.
The two officials discussed the EU's role in strengthening the military institution's capabilities, as well as the importance of implementing Resolution 1701. The minister reaffirmed Lebanon's commitment to implementing this resolution, while stressing that "the presence of the Israeli army in southern Lebanon hinders the full deployment of the Lebanese army in the area south of the Litani River."
The U.N. said it is "deeply concerned" by the "unacceptable" violence in Syria, AFP reports.
Security forces deployed near Damascus to "restore order"
Security forces have been deployed near Damascus to "restore order" after deadly clashes between fighters linked to the Syrian government and others from the Druze community, an official announced.
"We announce the end of the security operation" in the Sahnaya area near Damascus, and "the deployment of security forces to restore order," said Commander Houssam al-Tahhane, director of security for the Damascus suburbs, according to AFP, citing the state-run SANA news agency.
Syria's Grand Mufti warns against religious 'discord'
Syria's Mufti, Osama al-Rifai, warned of the risk of religious "discord" following deadly clashes near Damascus between fighters linked to the Islamist regime and others from the Druze community.
"Syrian brothers, beware of discord, for we know its beginning, but no one knows how it ends," he said in an address posted on his official Facebook page. "If discord spreads in our country ... we will all lose."
The state-run Syrian news agency SANA reported on Wednesday that Israeli strikes had taken place near Damascus, where clashes had pitted Druze fighters against groups allied with the Syrian Islamist regime.
"Israeli strikes on the outskirts of the Sahnaya region," the agency announced. Israel said Wednesday that it was preparing to strike Syrian government targets if the Druze minority faced further violence.
🔴 Israel orders army to prepare to strike Syrian regime targets if Druze communities are threatened.
Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir ordered the army to be ready to strike government targets in Syria in the event of renewed violence against the Druze community in that country, AFP reports.
Zamir "instructed the army to prepare to strike targets of the Syrian government if violence against the Druze community persists," the army said in a statement, a few hours after an Israeli strike against an "extremist group" near Damascus, accused of preparing an attack against the Druze.
Syria
Syrian Interior Ministry reported that 16 security personnel were killed in sectarian clashes overnight in Sahnaya, a Druze-majority town near Damascus. The violence, which marked the second day of fighting between pro-government groups and Druze fighters, involved coordinated attacks on security checkpoints and posts. The clashes have exacerbated tensions in the region, leading to increased military deployments and curfews in affected areas.
France urges Israel to show 'utmost restraint' in Lebanon
France has called on Israel to exercise “the utmost restraint” in Lebanon following an Israeli strike that hit Beirut last Sunday, stressing that dismantling Hezbollah’s military sites is a task that belongs “exclusively to the Lebanese Armed Forces.”
“France recalls that the cease-fire must be respected by all parties without exception to ensure the safety of civilians on both sides of the Blue Line,” said French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Christophe Lemoine, as quoted by AFP.
“France therefore calls on Israel to show maximum restraint and to withdraw as soon as possible from the five points it still occupies on Lebanese territory,” he added during a press briefing.
Fires west of Jerusalem
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has ordered the army to deploy in response to rapidly spreading fires west of Jerusalem, according to AFP.
"We are in a national emergency, and all available forces must be mobilized to save lives and contain the fires," the minister said in a statement from his office, as several communities were being evacuated.
Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) announced in a statement relayed by the state-run National News Agency that its former leader, Walid Jumblatt, held intensive contacts that included the new Syrian administration, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan, and asked those concerned to seek a cease-fire in the Syria area of Ashrafieh Sahnaya to stop the bloodshed.
Jumblatt also requested that "matters be addressed based on the logic of the state and the unity of Syria with all its components."
According to PSP, a ceasefire was agreed upon and went into effect half an hour ago as a result of the contacts.
Following that, Jumblatt requested that the ceasefire be maintained, as a delegation from Jabal al-Arab region is expected to arrive in addition to a delegation of sheikhs and community figures. The purpose of this visit is to develop a final formula that ensures there is "no return to infighting, which only benefits the Israeli enemy," according to Jumblatt.
US tells ICJ that law allows Israel to attack UN agencies that aren't 'impartial'
A US official addressing the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Wednesday defended Israel’s attacks on U.N. agencies in Gaza as potentially lawful.
On the third day of hearings by the World Court in The Hague examining Israel’s legal humanitarian obligations in occupied Palestine, the U.S. rejected the opinion held by the majority of states that Israel has breached international law in its attacks on U.N. and international organisations during its war on Gaza since October 2023.
The current ICJ proceedings have been prompted by Israel banning the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) in October.
The ban sparked global outrage and calls for Israel to be ejected from the United Nations due to accusations that it violated the founding charter, particularly the privileges and immunities enjoyed by U.N. agencies., reports Middle East Eye.
Switzerland to enforce Hamas ban starting May 15
Switzerland will officially implement a law banning Hamas and affiliated groups on May 15, aiming to prevent Hamas from using the country as a safe haven. Authorities say the measure will facilitate entry bans and expulsions, reports Al Jazeera.
Approved by parliament in December following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, the law provides Swiss authorities with "the necessary tools to act against Hamas activities or support for the organization within Switzerland,” the government stated.
Syria
Druze leader Sheikh Aql Sami Abi al-Mona held a series of local and international calls today as part of ongoing coordination with political leadership to help contain the deadly unrest unfolding in parts of Syria, according to the state-run National News Agency.
“Our honorable people in Jaramana and Ashrafieh Sahnaya are fully capable of defending themselves... their wise leaders are capable of devoting efforts to end the sedition that those seeking to harm the country are trying to ignite,” Sheikh Abi al-Mona stated.
In this context, the General Authority of the Druze sect's religious council has called for an urgent meeting to be held in Beirut at 4 p.m. today. The gathering will include Sheikh Abi al-Mona, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, ministers, MPs, judges, and religious figures, and will focus on addressing the rising tensions in Syria.
Iran/US
Iran and the U.S. will hold a fourth round of nuclear talks on Saturday in Rome, still under Omani mediation, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced on Wednesday.
“The next round of negotiations will take place in Rome,” Araghchi said after a cabinet meeting, adding, “The day before, on Friday, we will also hold a meeting with three European countries.”
Israel
Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced that a knife-wielding man was arrested by local security forces on Tuesday after attempting to enter the Israeli embassy compound in London “with the intent to carry out an attack,” according to Haaretz. No injuries were reported.
South Lebanon
French patrol from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) fired tear gas shortly before noon to disperse a gathering of residents in the town of Cana, in the Tyre district.
According to our correspondent, the residents were attempting to block the patrol from entering the village, claiming it did not have the authorization of the Lebanese Army.
The Hague hearings enter day 3
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) continues its hearings on Israel’s humanitarian obligations in the Palestinian territories, with the U.S. and Hungary set to speak today. A shift in tone is expected, as both countries are likely to support Israel and had voted against the 2023 U.N. resolution requesting the ICJ’s opinion on the matter.
Palestinian opening set the tone: On Monday, Palestinian representatives were granted extended time to present their case.
Nine countries took the floor Tuesday, each given 30 minutes to speak. South Africa opened the session, reaffirming its strong support for Palestine. The country previously accused Israel of genocide at the ICJ in 2023.
No binding ruling expected: While the ICJ’s opinion is advisory and not legally enforceable, it is likely to carry significant international weight.
Syria
11 people killed in sectarian clashes that broke out overnight in Sahnaya, near Damascus, Syria’s official news agency SANA reported Wednesday. This follows deadly violence a day earlier in a nearby Druze-majority town that left 17 dead.
According to a Health Ministry source cited by the agency, 11 people were killed and others injured by gunfire from "outlaw groups targeting civilians and security forces in the Sahnaya area."
Gaza
Medical sources say that Israel’s continued attacks have killed at least 21 Palestinians in Gaza since the early hours of this morning, reports Al-Jazeera.
Israel/Syria
Druze residents in northern Israel are currently blocking the highway between Acre and Karmiel following reports that six young Druze were killed in violent clashes in the Syrian city of Jaramana (south), and that armed militias have entered Druze villages in Damascus, Haaretz reports.
The spiritual leader of Israel’s Druze community, Sheikh Mouafak Tarif, said he is closely monitoring developments in Jaramana. He issued an appeal “to all influential international forces and entities in Syria, as well as to the Israeli defense minister and the Northern Command.”
A representative of the sheikh said he has warned against any harm to the Druze community or its members in Syria.
Pictured in Baabda on April 30, 2025, alongside U.S. generals Jasper Jeffers (left) and Major General Michael Leeney. (Credit: Lebanese Presidency on X.)
Lebanon
President Joseph Aoun met Wednesday with the new head of the ceasefire monitoring committee, who will succeed Jasper Jeffers.
Syria
At least two people were killed in new sectarian clashes near Damascus, according to an NGO.
Iran
Iranian man convicted of espionage and intelligence cooperation with Israel was executed on Wednesday, according to the semi-official Fars news agency, which is run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported by Reuters.
Israel
Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that “the main lesson of October 7, 2023, is that the Israeli army must always stand between Israel’s enemies and its citizens—whether in the buffer zone in Lebanon, on Mount Hermon, in the buffer zone in Syria, in refugee camps in the north of the occupied West Bank, or in buffer zones around Gaza separating the enemy from communities in the western Negev.”
“Iran is the main threat to the entire region, and we are more determined than ever to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons,” the minister added.
A building destroyed by Israeli attacks in Chamaa, South Lebanon, on April 28, 2025. (Credit: Matthieu Karam/ L’Orient Today.)
In the eyes of Western powers, reconstruction can be used as leverage against Hezbollah.
As foreign aid is expected to arrive slowly—at best—Hezbollah is testing its options.
Israel - Gaza
In Israel, Haaretz reports that the Israeli military is preparing to issue mobilization orders to tens of thousands of reservists in anticipation of intensified fighting in Gaza.
Military officials say some of these reservists will be deployed in Lebanon and Syria, while others will be stationed in the occupied West Bank.
They will replace conscripted units being sent south for potential operations inside Gaza. Many reservists have already served hundreds of days since the war began and now face a third or fourth deployment of indefinite length.
Meanwhile, The Times of Israel reports violent protests by extremist Haredi groups opposing the state’s attempts to draft ultra-Orthodox Jews. Only 2% of the 10,000 conscription orders sent to eligible Haredi men over the past year have been accepted, the paper says.
Israel - Gaza
Israeli officials on Tuesday made multiple statements suggesting the military will continue its operations and massacres in Gaza, where over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, 2023.
Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer said the war in Gaza would end “in 12 months,” as reported by Israeli public radio.
During a memorial for fallen soldiers, Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed to fight until “victory” in Gaza.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich added that the war would end when “hundreds of thousands of Gazans are on their way to other countries.”
On March 18, Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza after a two-month truce with Hamas, which followed the group’s deadly October 7 attack on Israeli soil.
Since March 2, Israel has blocked all international aid to Gaza—vital for its 2.4 million residents—claiming it's pressuring Hamas to release remaining hostages.
Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard wrote in the foreword of the organization’s annual human rights report on Tuesday: “Since the horrific crimes committed by Hamas, the world has been watching a live genocide on their screens.”
Yemen
U.S. continues to pressure Houthi rebels.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that over 1,000 targets had been struck in the country since mid-March.
U.S. and British forces also carried out a joint military operation Tuesday targeting a Houthi military site involved in drone manufacturing, according to the UK Ministry of Defence, as reported by Reuters.
Later that day, the Israeli army reported intercepting a drone launched from Yemen, according to Israeli media.
☕Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of today's events in Lebanon and the rest of the Middle East.
Catch up on yesterday's news and see what to look out for today by reading our Morning Brief.
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