Syria has been wracked by a new wave of deadly sectarian violence that has placed the spotlight on the Druze minority at the center of rising tensions with Israel. Dozens of people were killed this week after clashes between government loyalists and Druze militias in the southern city of Suwayda,

The Israel Defense Forces said it struck "the entrance" of Syria's military headquarters in Damascus on Wednesday.

Israel’s involvement in Syria isn’t about conquest or regime change. It’s about protecting its Druze citizens’ kin, preventing jihadist chaos from reaching its borders, and ensuring that failed states don’t become launching pads for future attacks.

For weeks, Israel has engaged in back-channel talks over a diplomatic agreement with the Syrian government. Its strikes on Damascus this week highlight a lack of strategic clarity.

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel on Wednesday conducted airstrikes in downtown Damascus, the Syrian capital. The Israeli military said the targets included a Syrian government military compound in Damascus as well as another military target near the Syrian presidential palace in Damascus.

Israel said its military struck several tanks in southern Syria, as clashes between Bedouin gunmen and Druze militias left dozens dead and injured.

A view of a destroyed building, after powerful airstrikes shook Damascus on Wednesday, targeting the defense ministry, as Israel vowed to destroy Syrian government forces attacking Druze communities in southern Syria and demanded their withdrawal,