New Israeli raids near Damascus; Syrian Interior Ministry announces new cease-fire in Sweida | LIVE

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Israel says it is acting 'responsibly' and with 'restraint' in Syria

Israel has said it is acting “responsibly” and with “restraint” in Syria, after its army bombed Syrian government sites in Damascus and other parts of the country.

“Commanders and soldiers are acting responsibly and with restraint,” said Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir during a visit to the Israeli-occupied part of the Syrian Golan Heights on the border with Syria.

Iran condemns Israel's 'unbridled aggression' in Syria

Iranian diplomatic chief Abbas Araghchi has condemned the Israeli bombardments in Syria, calling for an end to “unbridled aggression” by the Israeli army.

“The enraged Israeli regime knows no limits ... the world, including the region, must unite to put an end to its unbridled aggression,” said Araghchi, assuring that his country “supports Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity and will always stand by the Syrian people.”

Syrian authorities announce new Israeli raids on the Damascus area.

The Syrian authorities announced new Israeli strikes on Wednesday evening on the outskirts of Damascus, after having targeted the headquarters of the Syrian army and the area around the presidential palace in the heart of the capital.

The strikes “targeted the area around the Mazze military airport,” an area “where ammunition depots are located,” a Syrian Interior Ministry source told AFP.

Syria is calling for a meeting of the U.N. Security Council to “examine the consequences of the Israeli aggression on its territory,” reports Reuters.

An argument broke out in the predominantly Sunni village of Marj, in the Bekaa, between several village youths and a young man dressed in traditional Druze garb, against the backdrop of events this week in Sweida, Syria, reports our correspondent.

The notables of Marj quickly condemned the incident, describing it as “individual behavior” on the part of the young people concerned, and rejected any attack on coexistence, our correspondent in the Bekaa continues.

For his part, a local Druze sheikh went to the scene to calm tensions and bring the young man home safe and sound. Following the incident, the Lebanese Army deployed a patrol on the main road to Marj to prevent any outbursts.

The Israeli army has announced that it has intercepted a missile fired from Yemen, after sirens sounded in parts of Israel.

“Following the sirens, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted,” the army said in a statement. Yemeni Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for numerous missile strikes against Israel since the start of the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023.

Dozens of young people gathered in al-Nour Square, Tripoli (northern Lebanon), to protest against the Israeli strikes on Damascus, reports the official National News Agency.

The demonstrators waved Syrian flags.

Gaza's Civil Defense reported the deaths of 20 people on Wednesday. It said that they had succumbed to “Israeli occupation fire” following a mob movement among food-seekers in the al-Tina area, southwest of Khan Younis, near an aid distribution center."

The Israeli- and U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) announced on Wednesday the deaths of 20 people waiting for aid, accusing armed individuals of causing “a stampede,” a version disputed by Palestinian sources.

“According to the information available to us, 19 of the victims were trampled and another was stabbed in a chaotic and dangerous stampede caused by agitators in the crowd,” GHF said.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “condemns” Israeli strikes in Syria, according to his spokesperson in remarks reported by AFP.

On Wednesday, Syria denounced the “dangerous escalation” by Israel, which bombed the Syrian army headquarters and the area around the presidential palace in Damascus. It carried out strikes in the south of the country.

“Syria holds Israel fully responsible for this dangerous escalation and its consequences,” says a Foreign Ministry statement picked up by AFP, according to which the bombings targeted “government and civilian institutions.”

It affirms Syria's right to “defend its territory and its people by all means guaranteed by international law.”

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced, in a message posted on X, that its forces in Yemen had intercepted a “significant” shipment of Iranian weapons bound for the Houthi rebels.

Yemeni forces “seized more than 750 tons of munitions and equipment, including hundreds of advanced cruise missiles, anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles, warheads, targeting sensors, as well as hundreds of drone engines, air defense equipment, radar and communications systems,” CENTCOM said.

Rubio sees "real de-escalation" in Syria in the coming hours, according to AFP.

U.S. diplomatic chief Marco Rubio said he hoped for a “de-escalation” in southern Syria in the “next few hours,” speaking of a “misunderstanding” between Israel and Syria, following Israeli strikes against Damascus.

“We've been engaging with them all morning and all night, with both sides, and we think we're on the path to a real de-escalation,” Rubio said in the Oval Office alongside President Donald Trump and the Crown Prince of Bahrain.

“In the next few hours, we hope to see real progress,” he said, referring to “long-standing, historic rivalries between different groups in southwest Syria, the Bedouins, the Druze community and that has led to an unfortunate situation and misunderstanding, it seems, between the Israeli side and the Syrian side.”

Several Israeli fighter jets are currently flying over the eastern sector of southern Lebanon, according to our correspondent in the region.

Israeli strikes on Damascus, which targeted the Syrian Army headquarters on Wednesday, killed three people and wounded 34, according to a new report from the Syrian Health Ministry.

The violent strikes destroyed a wing of a four-story building in the complex housing the army headquarters, adjacent to the Defense Ministry, AFP journalists observed.

More than 300 people have been killed since Sunday in violence in Sweida, a predominantly Druze town in southern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said, according to AFP. The previous death toll was 248.

According to the SOHR, 69 Druze fighters and 40 Druze civilians were killed, “27 of them summarily executed” by members of government forces. In addition, 165 members of government forces and 18 Bedouin fighters, as well as 10 members of government security forces, were killed in Israeli strikes, the NGO said.

The Trump administration has asked Israel to “suspend” strikes on Syria, according to Axios, citing a U.S. official.

Axios did not specify whether this request was made before or after the strikes against Damascus.

Testimonial after Israeli strikes on Damascus, which targeted the Syrian Army HQ

"Most of the injuries treated at the al-Mujtahid hospital in Damascus following the bombing of the General Command in Umayyad Square were superficial and not serious. No deaths were reported. We received nine wounded and all the medical staff were mobilized," Dr. Sham Ataya, from the hospital's emergency department, told L'Orient-Le Jour. “Given the violence of the strikes, we expected worse... so thank God,” she added.

According to AFP journalists on the scene, the violent strikes, which left one dead and 18 wounded, destroyed a wing of a four-story building adjoining the Defense Ministry. The usually bustling Umayyad Square was deserted, except for a few ambulances and military vehicles.

The Emirati Foreign Ministry has “condemned” the Israeli attacks on southern Syria and said it “totally rejects any violation of Syrian sovereignty,” according to Reuters.

The highest religious authority (Dar) of the Druze community in Sweida has announced, in an official statement, that a cease-fire has been reached with the Syrian government. The agreement stipulates, according to the text, that “the mohafaza [governorate] is fully integrated into the Syrian state and confirms the latter's sovereignty over the entire territory of Sweida.”

According to the statement, “the agreement provides for the revitalization of all state institutions in Sweida, as well as the guarantee of the rights of all citizens, per the principles of justice and equality.”

It was also decided to establish a commission of inquiry to investigate all violations committed during the past period and to compensate the injured parties.

Under the cease-fire agreement, the Damascus-Sweida road is to be secured, on the understanding that “responsibility for the safety of citizens lies with the Syrian state.”

The Syrian Army, for its part, will return to its barracks. As for the internal security forces, they will maintain order, under the leadership of officers “from the mohafaza, recognized for their integrity.”

Israeli strikes targeting the Syrian Defense Ministry earlier in the day killed five members of the security forces, reports Reuters, citing a medical source.

Washington “very concerned” by Israeli strikes in Syria, says Secretary of State Marco Rubio, AFP reports.

Our Bekaa correspondent Sarah Abdallah reports a massive traffic jam on the Dahr al-Baidar road (linking Mount Lebanon to the Bekaa), caused by a sit-in by Druze youth at the Falougha bend. The young people are blocking the road and are clearly protesting against the events taking place in the Syrian region of Sweida.

This afternoon, a Lebanese reconnaissance plane flew over the Hermel region on the Lebanese-Syrian border, according to our correspondent.

Syrian Interior Ministry announces new cease-fire in Sweida, reports AFP

According to Reuters, U.S. President Donald Trump's administration asked Israel again on Wednesday to halt strikes on Syria and engage in dialogue with the government in Damascus, Axios reported, citing a senior U.S. official.

Axios did not say whether that request came before or after Israeli strikes on Wednesday on Syria's military headquarters and near the presidential palace in Damascus.

The Israeli strikes on Damascus killed at least one person and injured 18, according to the Syrian Health Ministry.

The violent strikes destroyed a wing of the four-story building adjoining the Defense Ministry, according to AFP journalists. The famous Umayyad Square, which overlooks the complex, was empty except for ambulances and military vehicles.

The death toll from the clashes in Sweida, which began on July 13, has risen to over 300, according to an NGO quoted by AFP.

“Syrian forces don't prevent attacks on the Druze or solve the problem,” but they are “part of the problem,” says an Israeli military official.

A Lebanese Army reconnaissance aircraft is flying over Hermel, near the Lebanese-Syrian border, according to our correspondent in the Bekaa.

Eighty-year-old Druze Sheikh Marhaj Chahine died following his public humiliation by an armed group amid ongoing clashes in Syria’s Sweida province, local outlet Suwayda24 reported earlier today. The cause of his death was not disclosed.

Read the full report here. 👈

(Credit: Jalaa Marey/AFP)

Members of Syria's Druze community walk through tear gas fumes released by Israeli forces to disperse them, as they gather along the dividing line to attempt to cross the barbed-wire fence with the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights near Majdal Shams.

(Credit: Jalaa Marey/AFP)

Meanwhile, members of Syria's Druze community are attempting to cross into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which has a significant Druze population, and are being fired on with tear gas by Israeli forces. Pictured here, near the Golan village of Majdal Shams.

Israeli troops stood by as hundreds of Druze cross in the other direction, answering calls from some within the Druze community to join fighting in southern Syria against government security forces.

Israeli army orders Northern Command forces diverted to Syrian border

The Israeli army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has ordered further troop reinforcement at the Syrian border area with additional surveillance and offensive capabilities, Times of Israel reports, after hundreds of Israeli Druze streamed over the border and into southern Syria, where Syrian government forces and Druze fighters are still locked in battle.

Zamir also instructed the Northern Command, which is responsible for the borders with both Lebanon and Syria, to divert forces to the Syrian frontier to “increase the rate of strikes and stop attacks against the Druze in Syria,” according to a military statement.

The Israeli army admitted it had not been prepared for the large numbers of Druze who crossed into Syria. Soldiers reportedly stood by and watched as the crowd passed, Haaretz reports. Some within the Druze community had called for people to join the fighting in Syria.

The Israeli army believes that Syrian government forces are now in control of 70 percent or more of the predominantly Druze city of Sweida in southern Syria, with around 200 forces in the city and 1,000 in the outskirts, Times of Israel reports.

A witness in Damascus told Reuters that an Israeli airstrike hit next to the presidential palace, located around three kilometers from the Defense Ministry, which was also bombed in the latest air raid on the Syrian capital.

Israel preparing for 'several days' of fighting in Syria

Haaretz is reporting that the Israeli army is preparing for several days of fighting in Syria, and is redirecting troops from Gaza to support the new front it has opened with its neighboring country.

According to Syrian state news, several people have been reported wounded in the massive Israeli bombardment that his the interim Syrian government's Defense Ministry headquarters in downtown Damascus.

Barrack applauds Sharaa's condemnation of Sweida violence

In a post on X in which he shared the original statement from interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa's office condemning violence in Sweida and promising justice for those responsible, U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack commended Sharaa's words as "strong," and urged him to follow through with his promises.

"Strong statement," he wrote. "Actions must follow to end violence, ensure accountability, and protect all Syrians."

Barrack told the New York Times that Washington is involved in mediation efforts to restore calm between the various players involved.

🔴 Katz says 'painful blow' coming for Syria

Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz shared the video of the moment an Israeli airstrike hit the building seen through the window behind a Syrian newscaster, warning Syria that Israel would ramp up its bombardments even further.

"The signals to Damascus are over — now come the painful blows," he threatened, promising that the Israeli military would "operate forcefully" in Syria's southern Sweida region "to eliminate the forces that attacked the Druze until their full withdrawal," claiming to be aligned with Druze minorities in region.

Image taken from Syria TV live broadcast.

Latest Israeli bombardment targeted Syrian Defense Ministry

The latest airstrikes against Damascus hit the Syrian government Defense Ministry headquarters, according to Reuters, citing Al Jazeera's live television channel. The massive strikes reportedly caused serious damage.

Explosions heard in Damascus, second Israeli air raid on the capital

A loud explosion has been heard across the Syrian capital of Damascus, as a second Israeli bombardment reportedly targets the Syrian military headquarters, according to initial information from Syrian media,

According to Israel's Channel 12, citing a security source, the latest Israeli air raid against Damascus hit the presidential palace and the Syrian military headquarters.

Huckabee calls killing of Palestinian-American in West Bank 'terrorist act'

U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called on the Israeli authorities to “aggressively investigate” the killing of a 20-year-old Palestinian-American citizen at the hands of Israeli settlers on Friday in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, calling his killing a “murder” and a “criminal and terrorist act.”

Huckabee, who has been vocal about his support for illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, used uncharacteristically strong language in his statement on Tuesday condemning the death of Sayfollah Musallet, a young Floridian who had been visiting his family in the area.

“There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act,” Huckabee said, in comments cited by the New York Times.

Netanyahu urges Israeli Druze not to enter Syria as hundreds cross over

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has urged Druze not to cross into Syria, AFP reports, as hundreds enter the southern Syrian province of Sweida from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, amid ongoing fighting between Syrian government forces and Druze fighters.

According to Haaretz, convoys carrying hundreds of Israeli Druze are crossing over near Majdal Shams, a village in the Golan. Photos from AFP show Israeli troops firing tear gas on Syrian Druze trying to cross in the opposite direction.

Netanyahu said the army was working to “save our Druze brothers and to eliminate the regime gangs,” according to a statement cited by Al Jazeera.

“And now I have one request from you: you are the citizens of Israel. Don’t pass the border. You endanger your life; You can be murdered, you can be kidnapped, and you hurt the [Israeli army’s] efforts. So I ask you – go back to your homes, let the [army] act,” he said.

Syrian president 'strongly condemns' the 'violations of citizens' rights' in Sweida

The Syrian presidency released a statement this afternoon condemning what it called “the violations of the rights of our citizens in Sweida,” the southern Syrian province where deadly clashes and a chaotic intervention by government forces have resulted in the deaths of more than 240 people.

Pledging to punish those responsible, the office of interim President Ahmad al-Sharra said it was monitoring the violence unfolding in Sweida and denounced "regrettable ... criminal and illegal violations."

A U.K.-based Syrian war monitor reported that more than 20 Druze civilians had been "summarily executed" since Sunday.

The presidency “strongly condemned these shameful acts,” affirming its “total commitment to investigating all incidents and punishing all those involved.”

“The state prioritizes the protection of security and stability in all regions of the country,” the statement concludes.

Israel announces ongoing bombardment of southern Syria

The Israeli army announced having bombed the southern Syrian province of Sweida earlier this afternoon, in a statement posted on is Arabic-language spokesperson's X account.

Israel is targeting Syrian government forces in southern Syria, the statement says, having struck tanks, missile launchers, combat vehicles, and pickup trucks loaded with machine guns, which were headed toward Sweida, all in the last 24 hours.

The Israeli army, which is also bombing roads in the province, is still continuing its attacks, according to the statement.

(Credit: Jalaa Marey/AFP)

Israeli army blocks and fires tear gas on Druze at Golan-Syria border

Israeli troops use tear gas to disperse the crowds as Druze Syrians attempt to cross the dividing line from Syria into the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, near Majdal Shams, amid continuing clashes between Druze fighters and both neighboring Bedouin tribes and the forces loyal to Syria's new government on the other side.

According to Haaretz, the Israeli army is also pushing back hundreds of Druze trying to cross from the Golan, which has a significant Druze population, into southern Syria.

After the December 2024 overthrow of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad, Israel carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria in a bid to prevent key military assets falling into the hands of the interim administration.

It also invaded the U.N.-patrolled buffer zone that used to separate the opposing forces in Golan Heights, internationally recognized at Syrian territory that is occupied and annexed by Israel and from which it has conducted incursions deeper into southern Syria, often killing Syrians living in nearby villages.

Israeli drones spotted targeting Sweida, state news reports

Israeli drones have reportedly been spotted targeting the southern Syrian city of Sweida, according to a correspondent from the official state news agency SANA.

The update came shortly before an announcement from the Israeli army that it had bombed a military compound in Damascus, which was preceded by threats of escalated violence if Syrian troops did not withdraw from the southern Syrian province of Sweida.

Israeli army bombs Syrian military headquarters in Damascus

The Israeli army has bombed the Syrian army's General Staff headquarters in Damascus, according to a statement released by the Israeli army Arabic-language spokesperson on X.

Israel "continues to monitor developments and actions against Druze citizens in Syria," the text continues, "and remains on alert for various scenarios."

Around two hours ago, Israel's defense minister issued a warning to the Syrian army that if it did not withdraw from the Syrian province of Sweida, that Israel would intensify its attacks, claiming to be acting in defense of the Druze minority there.

Gaza death toll surpasses 40 since dawn

Forty-three people have been killed already in Gaza today, Al Jazeera reports, citing medical sources in the besieged enclave. The death toll includes 21 people killed while attempting to collect aid, 15 of whom died in a stampede and suffocated from tear gas fired on the crowd.

Israel reinforcing troops along Syrian border

Haaretz has just reported that the Israeli army is reinforcing its troops along the Syrian border, following statement from the country's defense minister that the army would intensify its attacks against Syrian government forces if they do not withdraw from the southern Syrian province of Sweida.

Gaza Health Ministry says stampede and tear gas killed 21 at GHF Khan Younis site

The Health Ministry in Gaza has released a statement regarding the deaths reported earlier by the Israeli-backed U.S.-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation at its distribution site in Khan Younis.

According to the ministry, cited by Al Jazeera, at least 21 people were killed, 15 from a stampede and suffocation due to tear gas fired at Palestinians who were seeking food packages.

“For the first time, deaths have been recorded due to suffocation and the intense stampede of citizens at aid distribution centers,” the ministry said.

Sweida death toll rises again to 248, SOHR reports

The clashes in Sweida, where a cease-fire was announced that then shortly after collapsed, has risen to 248 since fighting first broke out on Sunday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). Two AFP correspondents reported gunfire in the predominantly Druze city, where government forces and Druze fighters are once again locked in battle.

According to SOHR, 64 Druze fighters and 28 Druze civilians were killed, “21 of them summarily executed” by members of the government forces. In addition, 138 members of the security forces and 18 Bedouin fighters who entered the town alongside them were killed, the NGO said.

GHF says 20 killed in crowd surge at Khan Younis aid site

The Israeli-backed, U.S.-run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation released a statement this morning saying that a surge in the crowds at its Khan Younis distribution site resulted in the deaths of 20 people, a number corroborated by reports from Gaza medics, cited by Haaretz.

Around 600 people have been killed attempting to collect aid from GHF's distribution sites since May, according to the United Nations and a report from Haaretz that revealed Israeli soldiers were ordered to fire on unarmed aid seekers as a form of 'crowd control.'

GHF has released several conflicting statements on its X account in the last week, some claiming that there has been no interference from "terrorists" or Hamas, while others blame Hamas for aid site massacres.

Today, GHF claimed Hamas was behind surge, and said that "for the first time since operations began, GHF personnel identified multiple firearms in the crowd."

Druze fighters, Syrian troops clashing again in Sweida city, breaking cease-fire

Following reports of resumed fighting in the city of Sweida this morning, just hours after the government announced a cease-fire, Reuters is reporting that clashes between Syrian soldiers and local Druze fighters resumed in Sweida.

Syrian troops were dispatched to the province on Monday to quell fighting between Druze fighters and Bedouin armed men but ended up clashing with the Druze militias.

Government forces took control of several Druze villages. While most Druze religious leaders came out in support of Damascus and calling for an end to hostilities, one particularly prominent leader, Hikmat Salman al-Hijri, called instead for Syrian soldiers — who say they have been attacked by Hijri's fighters — to withdraw.

Syrian security forces deploy amid clashes in the southern Sweida city on July 16, 2025. (Credit: Omar Haj Kadour/AFP)

Katz calls on Syrian army to withdraw from Sweida

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has threatened to intensify Israeli strikes on Syria if the Syrian army and security forces do not evacuate the predominantly Druze Sweida province in the country's south.

In a statement cited by Haaretz, Katz said Israel would soon "intensify its response against the regime if the message is not understood,” referring to the fledgling government run by interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, whose forces intervened on Monday in fighting that had broken out between Druze and Bedouin fighters.

“The Syrian regime must leave the Druze of Sweida alone and withdraw its forces,” Katz demanded. Israel “will not abandon the Druze in Syria and will implement the policy of demilitarization,” he added — a continuation of Israeli rhetoric claiming to support the minority group which has a particular presence in Israel, especially the occupied Golan Heights.

More than 33,500 wounded Gazans suffer permanent disabilities, says UN

In Gaza, 134,105 people, including more than 40,500 children, have been injured by the Israeli army in its onslaught against the besieged enclave, where hospitals are functioning at a minimum.

Twenty-five percent of the wounded now suffer from disabilities requiring urgent and long-term rehabilitation, according to a report by the United Nations Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

More than 35,000 people are also believed to have suffered significant hearing damage caused by explosions.

On average, 10 children lose one or both legs every day, while twenty months of bombing have destroyed all infrastructure designed to protect or support people with disabilities.

Relatively calm night in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley

After a particularly deadly day yesterday, in which the Israeli air force killed 12 people digging a well, there were no attacks reported overnight in the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon.

Yesterday, the Israeli army carried out a series of air raids on Baalbeck district and the Anti-Lebanon mountains, claiming to be targeting Hezbollah infrastructure and its elite Radwan Unit.

One of these strikes killed 12 people who were digging an artesian well, according to information from our correspondent in eastern Lebanon, Sarah Abdallah, and a statement from the Ministry of Health.

This was the deadliest bombing carried out by the Israeli army since the supposed truce came into effect on Nov. 27, 2024.

Death toll rises in Syria's Sweida

At least 203 people have been killed in southern Syria's Sweida province, a war monitor said yesterday evening, giving an updated toll after several days of clashes that triggered the deployment of government forces.

The dead include 92 members of the Druze minority, 21 of them civilians "killed in summary executions by government forces," according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, as well as 93 security personnel and 18 Bedouin.

The government declared a cease-fire in the province yesterday, however fighting in its main city of the same name was reported shortly after, including Israeli bombardment of Sweida city, its second attack on southern Syria since Sunday.

Trump and Qatari PM to meet tonight and discuss Gaza

U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani tonight over dinner in Washington to discuss the Gaza cease-fire negotiations, according to a report from Axios' Barak Ravid. The meeting, Ravid adds, comes after Trump spoke with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on Monday.

Trump and Qatar's PM are expected to also discuss how to resume U.S.-Iran nuclear talks.

Good morning and welcome to today's live coverage of events in the region, notably Israel's intensified attacks on Lebanon, its relentless onslaught against Palestinians in Gaza, and the intense diplomatic efforts to achieve a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.

You can catch up on everything you need to know going into today by reading our Morning Brief. 👈