Military Strikes Weaken Israel-Syrian Rapprochement Since Fall of Assad
July 16, 2025—The Israeli government conducted military strikes against Syria today, hitting sites in the capital of Damascus and in the southern part of the country where sectarian clashes continue.
The military strikes killed three people and injured 34 others, according to the Syrian government. The conflict weakens warming relations between Western countries, including the U.S. and European governments, with the new Syrian regime. They also suggest the rapprochement between Israel and Syria in the wake of the fall of the 24-year reign of the Bashar al-Assad regime may only be an illusion. The Assad regime fell to Israel and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebels led by Abu Mohammad al‑Jolani in December 2024.
Today’s ongoing internal and external conflict suggests instability and uncertainty. The Syrian civil war that started in 2011 never officially ended. Jolani, also known as Ahmad al-Sharaa and leader of the HTS Islamist jihad group, has often capitulated to Israel even as it has waged sectarian attacks within Syria.
Striking Damascus
Today, Israel launched targeted strikes against the presidential palace and the Syrian defense ministry building, according to reporting by Haaretz. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to continue military operations against Syria “to destroy the forces that attacked the Druze until they withdraw completely” from the southern city of Sweida (As Suwayda). Today’s strikes follow a warning by Katz in May to take action if Syrian forces continued attacks on the Druze community.
The Syrian government, meanwhile, says its forces have come under fire from “a large number of snipers from outlaw groups,” according to the Syrian state-owned media company SANA.
The Druze Community
At the center of the conflict is the Druze Community in southern Syria.
Druze are an ethnoreligious group distinct since the 11th Century who live in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. In Syria, the Druze community comprises approximately 700,000 to 1 million people, primarily residing in the southern region. They maintained autonomy during the Assad regime. Under the new Islamic HTS-led Syrian regime, the Druze have come under attack from regime forces. In May, Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri accused the Syrian government of waging an “unjustified genocidal attack” against the community, the Associated Press reported.
Recently, Israeli Druze have crossed into the southern Syrian region despite calls by the Israeli government against doing so, Haaretz reported today. Over the past few days, clashes among the Druze, Bedouins, and Syrian forces have killed more than 300 people, according to Haaretz. Today, the warring factions reached a fragile truce.
Violation of Sovereignty and International Law
The 22-member Arab League, meanwhile, condemned the attack on Syria by Israel saying, it was a “flagrant violations of the sovereignty of an Arab state” and a “breach of international law.” Expressing solidarity with Syria, a member of the regional organization, the Arab League said:
“The General Secretariat stressed that these Israeli strikes amount to acts of aggression and intimidation that can neither be accepted nor tolerated by the regional or international community, and must be brought to an immediate halt. It further noted that the occupation forces’ actions are intended to destabilise Syria, taking advantage of recent developments in the Sweida Governorate—events that were denounced by the Syrian authorities themselves as “shameful acts,” with a pledge to investigate and hold accountable anyone found responsible for violations or misconduct.”
Rubio: ‘A Misunderstanding’
U.S. President Donald Trump declined to comment when asked about the situation during a White House press conference with the crown prince of Bahrain. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the department was working toward de-escalation. He said sectarian conflict led to “a misunderstanding between the Israeli side and the Syrian side.”
“It’s complicated, obviously. These are historic, long-time rivalries,” Rubio said.
