Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) would continue to strike Syrian forces until they left the province of As Suwayda in southern Syria.
Tel Aviv warns of escalation in Syria
Katz also warned of a possible escalation of attacks if Israel does not receive an adequate response to its actions.
According to the IDF, one of the latest strikes hit the Syrian General Staff building in Damascus. Local television stations broadcast the strikes live.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier emphasised his country’s commitment to maintaining a demilitarised zone in southwestern Syria and protecting the Druze population.
An army spokesman said that the IDF continues to monitor the situation in the region, especially actions against peaceful Druze, and is acting in accordance with instructions from the Israeli leadership.
The Druze are an ethno-religious Arab group living in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Israel.
On Jujy 14, at least 34 people were killed in clashes between Syrian government forces and Druze militias in As Suwayda. Israel, which had previously promised to intervene, reported strikes on Syrian tanks in defence of the Druze population.
Israeli troops already occupied a buffer zone along the Syrian border with the Golan Heights, which is under UN control, and repeatedly struck military targets on Syrian territory.
Attacks on Gaza
Meanwhile, in the Gaza Strip, 13 Palestinians, including children, were killed in Israeli attacks.
According to medical personnel and eyewitnesses, on the morning of July 16, the Israeli army attacked Palestinian homes and temporary shelters, including tents for displaced persons.
Eight people, including three children, were killed in an air strike on a tent in the Al-Mawasi area near the town of Khan Younis. Many of the wounded were taken to hospitals.
Three more Palestinians were killed in attacks on a residential building and a coffee shop in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. Two residents were killed in a strike on a house in the Sabra neighbourhood in the southern part of Gaza City.
