Israel Strikes Syrian Military HQ: Bombs Target Damascus Command Center

What Happened & When

• Date: July 16, 2025
• Event: Israeli airstrikes bombed key Syrian military installations in Damascus, including the General Staff Command Building (Hayʾat al-Arkan) and areas near the presidential palace
• The strikes marked a rare direct attack on the heart of the Syrian capital.

Why Israel Struck

• The Israeli military cited the targeting of Syrian forces involved in violence against Syria’s Druze minority, particularly near Sweida, where sectarian clashes resulted in hundreds of deaths
• Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that the era of warnings was over and that “painful blows” would continue until Syrian forces fully withdraw from Druze-majority areas

Visual Evidence & On-Ground Impact

• Videos and satellite images from Damascus’s Umayyad Square show plumes of smoke rising from the damaged defense ministry entrance and nearby presidential vicinity

Human Toll

• Damascus casualties: At least 3 killed, more than 30 injured
• Sweida region: Sectarian fighting between Druze militias, Bedouin tribes, and Syrian army resulted in ~250 deaths, prompting Israel’s intervention

Cease‑Fire and Aftermath

• A cease-fire was agreed upon in Sweida between Druze leaders and Syrian forces. However, leadership rifts—such as between Sheikh Yousef Jarbou and Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri—led to uncertainties about its durability
• Despite the truce, Israel has stated it will continue strikes until Syrian troop withdrawal from Druze areas is confirmed

International Reaction

• Turkey condemned Israel’s strikes as destabilizing Syria’s fragile peace
• United States urged restraint and facilitated diplomatic efforts to solidify the Sweida cease‑fire
• Syria denounced the attacks as violations of its sovereignty and appealed to the international community .

Broader Context

• The strikes fall amidst significant power shifts in Syria following the fall of Assad in December and the rise of Ahmed al‑Sharaa (formerly tied to HTS/al‑Qaeda), who has struggled to maintain order with minority communities
• Israel has openly declared itself the protector of the Druze, with cross-border tensions as Israeli and Syrian Druze attempted border crossings
• This marks a dangerous escalation—strikes in Damascus represent an unprecedented deep strike into Syrian government territory.