Mazzaltov World News provides you with the latest live coverage of Current Affairs, Sports, Health, Weather, Entertainment, Business and Travel News from around the world.
Here’s where things stand on Wednesday 16 July 2025:
- The Israeli army has attacked the Syrian army headquarters in the capital, Damascus, as it launches further strikes on Syrian forces in the southern city of Suwayda.
- The Health Ministry in Gaza says at least 21 people have been killed at a food distribution site of the controversial US- and Israeli-backed GHF in southern Gaza.
- The UN agency for Palestinian refugees says one in 10 children screened in its clinics in Gaza are malnourished as Israel’s siege on the triggers triggers a man-made starvation crisis.
- Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 58,479 people and wounded 139,355, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks, and more than 200 were taken captive.
Photos: The moment Israel struck Damascus
GCC says Israeli attacks on Syria a ‘flagrant violation’ of its sovereignty
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) condemned Israel’s attacks on Damascus in the “strongest terms” as strikes target the defence ministry and presidential palace.
In a statement, Secretary General of the GCC, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, said the attacks represented a “flagrant violation” of Syria’s sovereignty, “a breach of international laws and norms, and a serious threat to regional security and stability.”
Albudaiwi added that the continuation of these repeated Israeli attacks had constituted an “irresponsible escalation”, disregarding international efforts to achieve stability in Syria and the region and reiterated the GCC’s support for Syria’s territorial integrity.
The Secretary-General called on the international community to take responsibility in stopping these “serious violations, hold the perpetrators accountable, and work diligently to protect the Syrian peopleand preserve its sovereignty in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law”.
Photos: Smoke rises after Israeli attack on Syria’s Defence Ministry
Strikes on Damascus ‘unequivocal signal’ that Israel significantly escalating attacks
This is an unequivocal signal from the Israeli government that these strikes will continue, that they will escalate as Defence Minister Israel Katz promised.
According to some reports, the Israeli military estimates this will last a few days.
Let’s remember that this Syrian government has no way to respond. Israel has already decimated its military capabilities, starting from the day the Bashar al-Assad regime fell, so Israel understands that there is no reciprocity here.
There can’t really be a Syrian military response to these massive strikes that we’re seeing in Damascus.
Several casualties in Israeli air attacks on Damascus: State media
Syrian state news agency SANA says there have been casualties following the Israeli attacks on Damascus, without specifying the number.
We will bring you more information as we get it.
Meanwhile, Reuters quoted a witness as saying that an Israeli attack hit next to the Syrian presidential palace.
France calls for ‘immediate cessation of clashes’ in Syria
France calls for an end to “abuses targeting civilians” in Suwayda after a war monitor accused government forces of conducting summary executions and other abuses in the southern Syrian city.
“The abuses targeting civilians, which we strongly condemn, must stop,” the Foreign Ministry in Paris said.
The ministry issued a call for an “immediate cessation of clashes” and urged all sides to respect a ceasefire that had collapsed after it was agreed upon on Tuesday.
At the same time, the European Union said it was “alarmed” by the clashes and urged “all external actors” to “fully respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” after Israeli attacks on targets in the country.
Israeli attacks on Syrian defence ministry fills Damascus neighbourhood with smoke
Al Jazeera was broadcasting from Damascus with the Syrian Defence Ministry in shot in the background as the building was hit by three or four Israeli strikes a few minutes ago, sending several mushrooming grey clouds into the air.
Huge columns of smoke are continuing to billow from the ministry, engulfing the building and drifting throughout the neighbourhood.
‘The heavy blows have started’: Israeli defence minister
Israel Katz has posted these words on X above a video showing a Syrian presenter abruptly taking shelter after a large explosion in central Damascus.
In a separate statement, Israel’s defence minister said the Israeli army will continue “to operate vigorously in Suwayda to destroy the forces that attacked the Druze until they withdraw completely”.
Columns of smoke rise over Syrian Defence Ministry
Smoke is billowing over the Syrian Defence Ministry.
Just a few minutes ago, there were at least three to four strikes.
Twenty minutes ago, there were two strikes, and a few hours ago, there was an Israeli drone strike at the entrance of that building.
Israeli warplanes are circling the skies over the Syrian capital.
There’s panic in the city, especially after the first major strike approximately 20 minutes ago.
People are making their way home.
US envoy condemns Suwayda ‘violence’, calls for dialogue and accountability
Tom Barrack, the US special envoy to Syria, has issued a statement about the situation in Suwayda, urging parties to show restraint and return to dialogue.
“We unequivocally condemn violence against civilians in Suwayda. Full stop,” Barrack said on X. “All parties must step back and engage in meaningful dialogue that leads to a lasting ceasefire. Perpetrators need to be held accountable.”
‘We’re watching him suffer, knowing we can’t help him here’
Mohammed al-Bahri was once a nurse who helped wounded people in Gaza. Now he is one of tens of thousands of people in the Strip who have been wounded by Israeli fire at GHF aid distribution sites.
According to his mother, Israel’s war on Gaza left their family with “nothing”, forcing him to go to the GHF sites in search of food.
“That’s when he was shot. Now, he can’t speak. He has lost all feeling in his right leg and hand,” she told Al Jazeera, adding that they were hoping he could be evacuated to receive urgent medical treatment.
However, like thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, he is currently trapped in the enclave with a collapsing health system.
Mohammed Dawas had his legs damaged by shrapnel from an Israeli bomb.
“The injury left him paralysed, and he urgently needs treatment abroad,” Fayza Dawas, Mohammed’s mother, told Al Jazeera.
“But the number of wounded is overwhelming, and Gaza’s hospitals can’t provide the care he needs. We’re watching him suffer, knowing we can’t help him here.”
Blast heard in Damascus as Israel continues attacks
According to reports, another blast has been heard in Damascus after Israel announced it was continuing to attack targets in the city.
We’ll bring you more on this shortly.
Netanyahu calls on Druze citizens of Israel to refrain from crossing into Syria
In an address to the Druze community in Israel, Netanyahu says the situation in Suwayda in southern Syria is “very severe” as the Israeli army continues to carry out strikes on the Syrian military, purportedly to protect the minority Druze community.
Netanyahu said the army was working to “save our Druze brothers and to eliminate the regime gangs”.
“And now I have one request from you: You are the citizens of Israel. Don’t pass the border.
“You endanger your life. You can be murdered. You can be kidnapped, and you hurt the [Israeli army’s] efforts. So I ask you – go back to your homes, let the [army] act,” he added.
Syria turmoil: What led to this?
Samy Akil, a political analyst and academic specialising in Syrian affairs, says there are “multiple reasons” for the tumultuous situation in Syria.
“Much of it, it has to be said, is inherited as a result of 14 years of conflict and 54 years of dictatorship under the al-Assad regime. But the main reason that we can see now is attributed to the lack of political vision issued by the current government,” he told Al Jazeera.
“The current government, to give it credit, has been saying a lot of the right things. However, it has not been able to … back the talk basically with tangible evidence on the ground, particularly when it comes to an inclusive … governing system that incorporates a clear power-sharing structure where all segments of Syrian society are represented,” Akil said.
He argued that many of the developments that were intended to achieve a cohesive social contract and incorporate all Syrians were “pretty rushed”.
“For example, the day of dialogue that happened in February, followed by the constitutional declaration, which was seen by many Syrians as to be extremely problematic as it centralises power within the hands of the presidency,” Akil said.
He said a number of key ministries, including that of the interior, defence, foreign affairs and justice, are controlled by people “closely affiliated with the current government in Damascus and its predecessor Tahrir al-Sham”.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which led an opposition offensive that removed longtime President al-Assad in a lightning offensive in December.
Photos: Syrian Druze protest at the border with Israel
Syrian presidency condemns Suwayda attacks, vows to hold those responsible to account
Syria’s presidency has issued a statement saying the attacks in the Suwayda governate, which constitute “criminal and illegal behaviour”, cannot be accepted.
“We, in the Syrian government, strongly condemn these heinous acts and affirm our full commitment to investigating all related incidents and holding accountable all those proven to be involved,” state media quoted the statement as saying.
“Any party responsible for these acts, whether individuals or outlawed organisations, will be held accountable under strict legal measures, and we will not allow them to go unpunished.”
The presidency reassured residents in Suwayda that their rights would “always be protected, and that we will not allow any party to tamper with their security or stability”.
The statement comes as the Israeli army continues to carry out attacks on Suwayda.
Death toll in Gaza rises to 51 since dawn
Medical sources tell Al Jazeera that at least 51 Palestinians have been killed across the Gaza Strip since dawn, including 21 aid seekers.
Earlier, we reported that the aid seekers were killed in the latest mass casualty incident at a GHF aid distribution centre in southern Gaza. Most of the victims were reported to have died in a stampede.
Meanwhile, an emergency services source has told Al Jazeera that two Palestinians were killed and others were injured in an Israeli attack on Jabalia al-Balad, in the northern Gaza Strip.
Mood ‘tense’ in Damascus after Israeli attack
The situation has been quite tense in the last couple of hours as the Israelis struck the Ministry of Defence in the Syrian capital, Damascus.
We heard one explosion, and then we saw another blast towards the rear of the building as well.
The Israeli military says it was an attempt to signal a message to President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government as it continues to strike Syrian government forces, who [in turn say they are] trying to bring peace in the south by disarming what they call outlawed groups.
It comes off the backdrop of Israeli strikes that are ongoing in Suwayda on Syrian security forces in the last few days. Just in the last 24 hours, there have been at least eight strikes on various locations inside the city and the outskirts of the roads leading to the city.
So it appears that Israel is now moving its military prowess further and further into Syrian territory.
Who are the Druze?
- The Druze are an Arab sect originating in 11th-century Egypt.
- They number about one million across Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel.
- The group’s religion is separate from Judaism, Islam and Christianity, but it’s from the same family and includes elements of Hinduism, Buddhism and other philosophies and beliefs.
- There are about 700,000 Druze living in Syria with Suwayda being home to the sect’s largest community.
- More than 29,000 Druze live in Syria’s occupied Golan Heights. They identify as Syrian and have mostly rejected offers of Israeli citizenship.
- In Israel, about 150,000 Druze hold Israeli citizenship and serve in the Israeli military.
Israeli army strikes more targets in Syria
The Israeli army says it is continuing to bomb southern Syria. The military says it has targeted tanks, rocket launchers, weapons and pickup trucks with heavy machineguns making their way to Suwayda.
This is the second time today the Israeli army said it struck southern Syria, where clashes between Druze armed groups and government forces resumed after the collapse of a ceasefire.
It also struck the entrance of the army’s headquarters in Damascus.
Netanyahu appears in Tel Aviv District Court over corruption trial
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appeared before the Tel Aviv District Court to continue his testimony during an ongoing corruption trial.
Netanyahu is in court on charges in three cases, all of which he denies, including receiving expensive gifts in exchange for favours and alleged negotiations with the publisher of the Israeli news outlet Yedioth Ahronoth, as well as the former owner of the Walla news site, regarding positive media coverage.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who was in attendance, said the hearing would be “interesting to witness”.
“President [Donald] Trump has made his position clear; this is personal for him. He considers Netanyahu a friend. I would say it’s extraordinary that the prime minister is on trial during wartime and during negotiations over hostages,” he said.
Last month, Trump called for the trial against Netanyahu to be dismissed, referring to it as a “ridiculous witch hunt”.
Chaotic scenes at the Syria-Israeli border
The Israeli army says it identified dozens of people who tried to enter Israeli territory from Syria. It also said a number of Israeli citizens crossed the border into the Majdal Shams area in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Israeli troops “continue to monitor developments in readiness for defence and various scenarios”, it added.
Footage posted online and verified by Al Jazeera showed a group of people crossing the border fence into Syria.
Israeli attacks on Gaza kill 58,573 Palestinians since October 2023
Since the war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023, Israeli attacks on the enclave have killed 58,573 people and wounded 139,607, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
In the latest 24-hour reporting period, 94 people have been killed and 252 injured.
Since March 18 when Israel broke the January ceasefire, at least 7,750 Palestinians have been killed and 27,566 have been wounded.
Israel looking ‘to export the Lebanon model to Syria’
Rob Geist Pinfold, a lecturer in international security at King’s College London, says Israel’s motivation since the fall of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in December has been to keep Syria unstable and governed by a weak central government.
“Basically to export the Lebanon model to Syria,” he told Al Jazeera.
“That looked like it could change. The US under Trump, as we saw not long ago, rescinded sanctions against the Syrian regime. Israel didn’t want them to do that, but Israel was nudged by the US and other actors into a more conciliatory position.”
However, Israel is now “reverting to form”, Geist Pinfold noted.
“It had a chance to pursue a different paradigm of either normalisation or at least more cooperation and dialogue with the Syrian government. It seems to have chosen military hegemony through supporting one specific proxy group, this Druze militia based in Suwayda.”
Geist Pinfold also said the attack on Damascus appeared “performative” but warned it could quickly escalate into something bigger.
“We are very, very close to Israel launching more prolonged, more direct and more dangerous and damaging strikes throughout Syria.”
What is going on in Syria?
- The day started with reports of fighting between Druze armed groups and government forces in the Druze-majority city of Suwayda in southern Syria.
- The fighting followed the collapse of a ceasefire agreed between the two sides on Tuesday after days of clashes.
- Ministry officials blamed outlawed groups for breaking the truce and attacking government soldiers, who they said were responding to fire while taking into account rules of engagement to protect civilians.
- Israel, which said it is acting to protect the Druze community in Syria, struck Suwayda, saying it was prepared for “various scenarios”. According to Syrian state media, Israeli drones targeting the area caused civilian casualties.
- Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned the Syrian government to leave the Druze alone and withdraw its forces from Suwayda or Israel would ramp up its attacks.
- Meanwhile, in Damascus, the Israeli army bombed the entrance gate of the Syrian army’s headquarters.
- An Al Jazeera correspondent in the Syrian capital reported multiple drones circling in the sky as well as gunfire from the Defence Ministry towards the drones.
- The Israeli army also said it was sending reinforcements to the security fence on the border with Syria.
‘A very volatile situation’ as Israel escalates attacks on Syria
We’ve spoken to Rob Geist Pinfold, a lecturer in international security at King’s College London, about the latest developments in Syria and what has gone wrong since the declaration of a ceasefire in Suwayda on Tuesday.
Here’s what he said:
“We were not just talking about a ceasefire internally within Syria, but we were also told that the US and Israel had reached an agreement for Israeli strikes within Syria to stop at least during nightfall.
“That did not happen because of the events on the ground in Suwayda.
“So what happened here is there is one specific Druze militia led by a cleric who has had relations with Israel in the past and has been tied to the al-Assad regime in the past as well.
“He along with another group of Druze clerics released a statement saying that they welcomed the ceasefire. Later on, he basically said that he had nothing to do with this statement, that it was imposed on him and that he rejects it entirely – and his group began fighting again.
“And when they began fighting again, Israel stepped up its strikes once more, supposedly to protect the Druze community but more likely here to coordinate and defend this one specific Druze militia with whom Israel has now deepening and more extensive ties since the fall of the al-Assad regime.
“So this is a very volatile situation. This has not stayed just in Suwayda. It has escalated to Damascus with Israeli strikes on Syrian government military targets.
“It looks like Israel and Syria are descending very quickly towards the paradigm of open and direct confrontation, which is a far cry from where we were a week ago when there was talk of normalisation or at least a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the al-Sharaa regime in Damascus.”
Israeli army to reinforce border with Syria
The Israeli army says it will send reinforcements to the security fence on the border with Syria.
The statement comes as Israel has threatened to continue targeting Syrian forces if they do not withdraw from Suwayda province in southern Syria.
Fighting between Syrian government forces and Druze armed groups continued in Suwayda today after a ceasefire agreed on Tuesday collapsed.
Syria’s Defence Ministry ‘struck twice by Israeli drones’
In the last few minutes, we’ve heard multiple drones circling above us, … and there has been some gunfire from the ministry’s defences towards these drones.
This goes to show that the situation is escalating as Israeli strikes have now reached the heart of Damascus.
Israel attacks Syrian army headquarters in Damascus
The Israeli army says it has bombed the entrance gate of the Syrian army’s headquarters in Damascus.
The military’s statement comes soon after the sound of an explosion was heard in the Syrian capital.
The Israeli military separately said it was attacking the Druze-majority city of Suwayda in Syria’s south, adding that it was prepared “for various scenarios”.
Earlier, the Syrian state news agency said Israeli drones had targeted the city, causing civilian casualties.
The attacks came after fighting in Suwayda between armed groups and government forces resumed today despite a ceasefire agreed on Tuesday.
After more aid seeker deaths, GHF justifications again contradicted by subsequent reports
As long as the GHF is controlling the humanitarian aid system and mechanism in the Gaza Strip, we’re likely to see more of these horrific incidents happening.
It started on the first day of operations, but every time an incident occurs, the GHF rushes to its official website and publishes a statement justifying what happened.
Just minutes after the incident that occurred earlier this morning, where 21 people have been confirmed dead, the GHF said it was very sorry for the loss of civilians waiting for aid, but went on to justify what happened, claiming there were armed groups within the crowd that caused the unrest.
Now, as time goes by and the day progresses, there are more shocking revelations as to what happened.
A witness from the crowd said tear gas was fired at it, causing mayhem and chaos to spread, and the stampede followed.
This is very consistent with the report from the hospitals where most of the cases were transferred, including those who are still alive.
Death toll in Gaza today rises to 43
At least 43 Palestinians, including 21 aid seekers, have been killed across Gaza since dawn, according to medical sources.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said 15 of the aid seekers died from a stampede and suffocation due to tear gas being fired at Palestinians seeking food at a GHF food distribution hub in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
Earlier, an Israeli attack on a camp of displaced people in al-Mawasi killed nine people.
Israeli army arrests 1 person in northern Jordan Valley
Israeli forces have arrested one person while he was grazing his livestock in the northern Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank.
Quoting local sources, the Wafa news agency identified the person who was arrested as Hussein Yousef Basharat.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office, Israeli forces have arrested more than 18,000 Palestinians in the West Bank since the war on Gaza began in October 2023.