Breaking News: Syria Under Israeli Attack; The Largest Aerial Campaign Since Assad’s Fall

According to Maariv, on May 3, the Israeli Air Force launched its most extensive aerial campaign against Syria since the fall of President Bashar al‑Assad, targeting military installations across Damascus, Hama, Idlib, Latakia, and Homs. The strikes came amid growing demands from Syria’s minority Druze community, which sought protection from Israel against extremist Islamist groups operating in the Damascus countryside.

Israeli military spokespeople confirmed that fighter jets struck multiple Syrian government sites, including the presidential palace in central Damascus. Arab media outlets cited local sources describing the operation as “the first of its scale in Syrian history,” with precision “boom” munitions deployed over key command centers. On the ground, reports indicated that Regiment 41 near the Harasta military hospital suffered significant damage.

In conjunction with the air campaign, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the evacuation of five injured Syrian Druze civilians to the Ziv Medical Center in Safed. A military statement warned the Syrian regime to refrain from any further harm to the Druze community, affirming that IDF units remain poised in southern Syria “to prevent hostile forces from infiltrating Druze

Earlier, Druze protesters in northern Israel blocked Route 6 at the Elkan intersection, demanding swift and decisive action to safeguard their brethren in Syria. Police cleared the demonstration by force, after which hundreds marched to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Caesarea, calling for immediate intervention.

Prime Minister Netanyahu later spoke with Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Mowafak Tarif, who praised the government’s “resolute stance” and recent order to bomb the Damascus presidential compound. Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s commitment to the Druze minority, emphasizing that any future threats against them would prompt direct military retaliation.

Photo: Maariv