The Israeli military struck a target near the presidential palace in the Syrian capital. The operation was carried out to eliminate a potential threat to the Druze community. This was announced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“This is a clear message to the Syrian regime. We will not allow the deployment of forces south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community,” Netanyahu said. His words were reported by The Times of Israel.

The Druze are an ethnic and religious community of Arab origin living in Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and Jordan. After the change of power in Damascus at the end of last year, the Israeli authorities repeatedly emphasized their readiness to ensure the safety of the Druze community in Syria.

A few days ago, the Israeli Defense Forces carried out a preemptive strike on the positions of radical groups in Syria to prevent a possible attack on Druze living in the Ashkaniyah area near Damascus, according to Tsargrad.