Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement announcing an attack on a target near the presidential palace in Damascus, the Times of Israel newspaper reported.
"This is a clear signal to the Syrian regime. We will not allow troops to be sent south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community," the publication quoted an excerpt from the statement.
Israel will respond with force if the new Syrian authorities fail to prevent attacks on the Druze community in Syria, Katz said earlier yesterday.
"If attacks on the Druze resume and the Syrian regime fails to prevent them, Israel will respond with force. We are trying to protect the Druze and are currently monitoring what is happening," said Katz, whose statements were released by the Israeli Defense Ministry press service.
The defense minister added that “after the attacks on the Druze in Syria“ On April 30, he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the army to "carry out a series of warning strikes against extremist elements" and "a clear message was sent to the new Syrian regime that it has a responsibility to prevent attacks" against the Druze community.
The same day, Israeli army chief of staff Eyal Zamir ordered the Israeli military to prepare to strike targets belonging to the new Syrian authorities if violence against the local Druze community continued. The army press service noted that on Wednesday, "the Israeli air force struck militants on the outskirts of Damascus who were attacking Druze civilians."