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Here’s where things stand on Wednesday 16 July 2025:
- The Israeli army has launched air attacks on the Syrian Defence Ministry and near the presidential palace in the capital, Damascus, killing at least three and wounding 34.
- The strikes come after Israel threatened to increase attacks if Syrian government forces are not withdrawn from the south of the country where there has been fighting between Druze and security forces.
- In the Gaza Strip, meanwhile, the Health Ministry says at least 21 people have been killed at a food distribution site of the controversial US- and Israeli-backed GHF.
- 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 58,573 people and wounded 139,607, 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.
Israeli air attacks reported in Syria’s Deraa, Suwayda
We are getting reports of new Israeli air raids in the countryside of Deraa and Suwayda in Syria.
We’ll bring you more as soon as we have it.
US’s Rubio expresses hope for ‘real progress’ to end Syria fighting soon
We have some comments from Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, at the White House where US President Donald Trump is hosting Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
“It’s complicated, obviously,” Rubio told reporters asking about the situation in Syria.
“These are historic longtime rivalries between different groups in the southwest of Syria – Bedouins, the Druze community – and it led to an unfortunate situation and a misunderstanding, it looks like, between the Israeli side and the Syrian side,” he said.
Rubio added that the US has been “engaged” with both sides.
“We think that we are on our way towards a real de-escalation and hopefully get back on track in helping Syria build a country and arriving at a situation there in the Middle East that’s far more stable,” he said, expressing hope that in the next few hours there would be “some real progress” to end the fighting.
Israeli Ultra-Orthodox party quits as Netanyahu loses majority
A key partner in Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition says it is quitting, leaving the Israeli prime minister with a minority in parliament.
The Ultra-Orthodox Shas party said it’s leaving the government in response to a long-running dispute over mandatory military service. Another ultra-Orthodox party resigned from the government earlier this week.
Leading a minority government would make governing a challenge for Netanyahu. But Shas said it wouldn’t work to undermine the coalition once outside and could vote with it on some laws.
Read the full story here.
Netanyahu needs war to appease coalition, disrupt corruption trial: Analyst
Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu is “infatuated” with his wartime role and “wants to maintain and perpetuate an atmosphere of war” for his political survival, an analyst says.
“There’s Gaza, there’s no ceasefire, there’s Iran… Now there is Syria in the background,” said columnist and former Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas.
Fighting a war on many fronts also helps appease far-right members of his coalition and adds another disruption to his ongoing corruption trial.
“Today he was testifying and asked the judges, which they agreed to, to suspend the trial because he had important national security issues to deal with,” Pinkas told Al Jazeera.
Death toll in Israeli attacks on Damascus rises
Syria’s Health Ministry says the number of people killed in the Israeli attacks on the capital has now risen to at least three, up from one earlier.
At least 34 other people were wounded, it added.
Israel doesn’t want Syrian forces at ‘deconfliction line’
Haid Haid, consulting fellow at Chatham House, says Israel’s attack on Damascus is “not a complete surprise,” but targeting the Defence Ministry and the presidential palace is an escalation not seen before.
“Israel has been quite clear since the fall of the [Bashar al-Assad] regime in December that they don’t want the forces affiliated with the new state in Syria to be deployed to the deconfliction line in southern Syria. And they have been trying to use different tactics in order to advance that objective,” Haid told Al Jazeera.
One way Israel is trying to advance that plan is to present itself as the “protectors” of the Druze community, Haid said.
Syria is currently not in a position to retaliate against the attacks, he added, noting that when the interim government came to power, it said it wouldn’t “cause trouble for any of the actors in the region”, and would instead focus on domestic issues.
Who are the Druze and why is Israel bombing Syria to ‘protect’ them?
You might have heard Israel has attacked Syria, saying that it wants to “protect” the Druze minority community. So who are the Druze and what do they mean for Israel?
No ceasefire with Syrian government, says another Druze leader
We have a statement by Hikmat al-Hijri, a top Druze leader in southern Syria, rejecting the reported ceasefire.
“We affirm the continuation of the fight until the entire territory of As-Suwayda Governorate is liberated,” the statement said.
“There is no agreement, negotiation, or mandate with the Syrian government.”
Israel has not yet commented on reported Syria ceasefire
There is no word from the Israelis yet on the new ceasefire that was announced after the initial one on Tuesday collapsed.
But what Israeli officials have been saying over the last several days, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defence Minister Israel Katz, is that they are doing this essentially to protect the Druze community in Syria.
But that’s not all. They want this area in southern Syria, near their border, to be completely demilitarised.
Back in 2024 and early 2025 after the fall of Bashar al Assad’s regime, the Israelis conducted pretty intricate and intense air strikes on all sorts of military positions, military munitions – anything the Syrian armed forces could potentially use moving forward, because they said they wanted the areas on their border to have no sort of military presence whatsoever.
But now, with these air strikes on Damascus, what Israeli officials are saying is they want to send a message to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa that they’re not going to tolerate any violence towards the Druze.
Number of wounded people in Israeli attacks on Damascus rises
The number of casualties continues to rise after the Israeli attacks earlier on Damascus.
According to Syria’s Health Ministry, one person was killed and 28 others were wounded in the attacks.
Syria’s Interior Ministry releases details on Suwayda ceasefire deal
Syria’s state media has published an Interior Ministry statement about the ceasefire deal, announcing:
- An agreement on an immediate cessation of all military operations and a commitment by all parties to de-escalate the situation in Suwayda.
- The formation of a committee comprising representatives of the state and religious leaders to oversee the implementation of the ceasefire.
- The agreement’s stipulation that security and police checkpoints be deployed, with the participation of police personnel from Suwayda.
- The use of officers and personnel from Suwayda to assume leadership and executive duties.
Israeli air strikes on Syria derail US hopes for ‘normalisation’
There is no question that Israel’s attack on Syria is counter to what the United States was hoping would progress in terms of relations for Syria.
Back in May, US President Donald Trump made a trip to the Middle East where he sat down – on the sideline of Gulf Cooperation Council meetings – with the new Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Trump said US sanctions would be dropped, and he went even further to say he hoped there is the possibility of Syria joining the Abraham Accords, meaning “normalisation” of relations with Israel.
Now this plan is going to be hammered by Israeli strikes.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was much more guarded, saying the moment represents an “opportunity for security and eventually peace”. It’s now clear that’s not something in his calculation for the near term.
Israeli army says some troops in Gaza to be deployed to Syrian border
An Israeli military official has told reporters during a briefing that some soldiers in Gaza are “preparing to be deployed on our northern border with Syria”.
Separately, the commander of Israel’s Northern Command, Ori Gordin, said Israeli forces were “operating decisively” in the Suwayda area.
“We are increasing the pressure and the pace of the strikes. We also carried out strikes in Damascus and will continue to strike throughout southern Syria,” he added.
Druze religious leader says new ceasefire deal reached
Following the confirmation by Syria’s Interior Ministry of a ceasefire agreement, Druze religious leader Sheikh Yousef Jarbou has also said there has been a deal with the government in Suwayda, which will take immediate effect.
He made the announcement in a video broadcast by state media.
No other details were immediately available.
Ben-Gvir calls for ‘elimination’ of Syrian president
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has said that the “only solution” with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa “is to eliminate him”.
“The horrific images from Syria prove one thing: once a jihadist, always a jihadist. Those who kill, shave mustaches, humiliate, and rape should not be negotiated with,” Ben-Gvir said on X.
“I love the Druze citizens in the State of Israel, and I embrace them warmly, and I tell them: we must cut off the head of the snake,” he added.
Ben-Gvir has previously been convicted on charges of supporting a Jewish “terrorist organisation” and of incitement to racism against Arabs and non-Jews.
Syrian gov’t reports ceasefire deal with Druze groups ready to work with state
The Interior Ministry has confirmed to Al Jazeera that a ceasefire has been reached with Druze groups in Suwayda – groups that have been ready and willing to deal with the new authorities in Damascus.
This deal, according to the Interior Ministry, will involve the deployment of government forces. They will set up checkpoints and this area will be fully integrated into the Syrian state.
This is a very different agreement than what has been reached in the past during negotiated settlements to end bouts of violence.
This agreement involves the government maintaining a presence in Suwayda.
This deal is reportedly with groups that are ready to work with the state. But there are Druze groups that are not ready to work with the state. One of them is led by Sheikh al-Hijri, whose whereabouts are not known.
What we understand is that government forces have taken control of much of Suwayda city.
Did those who oppose the government’s presence leave the area? Will there be another counteroffensive? It’s too early to say, and the situation is still quite fluid on the ground.
There was a ceasefire 24 hours ago, but there were no details. Now, a deal is reportedly in place, where the government will maintain its presence in Suwayda.
But the biggest question now is how Israel will react to this deal.
Lebanon condemns Israeli attacks as ‘blatant violation’ of Syrian sovereignty
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has condemned in the “strongest terms” Israel’s attacks on Damascus, referring to them as a “blatant violation of the sovereignty of a brotherly Arab state”.
“President Aoun affirmed that the continuation of these attacks further exposes the region’s security and stability to increased tension and escalation, expressing Lebanon’s full solidarity with the Syrian Arab Republic, its people, and its state,” the presidency wrote in a statement on X.
Aoun reiterated a call to the international community to “exert pressure” to stop the repeated attacks and respect Syria’s sovereignty, according to the statement.
“President Aoun had previously emphasised Lebanon’s commitment to Syria’s unity, its civil peace, and the safety of its land and people in all their diversity,” it said.
Israel’s main goal has been to ‘divide and weaken Syria’
Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara has called the Israeli attacks in Syria “vulgar exhibitionism”, saying Israel is “once again trying to prove to all its neighbours that it is the new regional hegemon”.
Bishara said that Israel, which is supported by the US, has been able to bomb Beirut, Damascus, Tehran and Sanaa, and feels it is capable of dictating policy in the Middle East.
Israel’s “main goal has been to divide and weaken Syria, turn its minorities, whether they are Druze or Kurds or Alawites, against the central government in Damascus”, he said.
It is also a way for Israel to deflect from its genocide in Gaza by bombing Syria, Bishara noted, adding the attacks in Syria are “yet another Israeli aggression in a neighbouring country”.
He also said the Israeli government will say the attacks are “to protect the minorities in Syria – in this case, the Druze”.
Bishara added, “Since the 1950s, Israel has pretended to be the protector of minorities, like the French colonialists … like the American imperialists, the British … every foreign power comes to the region, and they want to be protectors of minorities to weaken countries in the region to impose their will, and here we have it again.”
Photos: Fighting in the Syrian southern city of Suwayda
US wants Syria fighting to stop, says Rubio
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the US is “very concerned”, in response to a question about the Israeli attacks on Damascus.
“We’re going to be working on that issue as we speak. I just got off the phone with the relevant parties. We’re very concerned about it, and hopefully, we’ll have some updates later today,” the top US diplomat said, according to Reuters.
Rubio added the US wants the fighting to stop following the collapse of a ceasefire between Syrian government troops and local Druze fighters in the country’s south.
Israel confirms attacks on Syrian army HQ, presidential palace
The Israeli army has confirmed it targeted Syria’s army headquarters in Damascus and a “military target” near the presidential palace.
“The [military] continues to monitor developments and the regime’s actions against Druze civilians in southern Syria. In accordance with directives from the political echelon, the [military] is conducting strikes in the area and remains prepared for various scenarios,” it wrote on Telegram.
So far, one person has been killed and 18 others wounded in Israeli attacks on Damascus, according to Syria’s Health Ministry.
How did we get here?
Our correspondent in Damascus, Zeina Khodr, breaks it all down:
- Israel struck twice today in the heart of Damascus, warning the Syrian government that it will escalate its attacks if Syrian government troops do not withdraw from Suwayda in southern Syria.
- The Syrian government said it sent troops to the south to restore order after clashes erupted between Druze and Bedouin fighters.
- Government forces advanced, taking three-quarters of the city.
- The Druze community is not united on how to engage with the new Syrian authorities.
- Some recognise the new government in Damascus, even though they remain sceptical and have concerns. Others, led by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, are opposed to the government, calling the new authorities “extremists”.
- This is not the first bout of violence in the south since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in December. Previous clashes all ended with negotiated settlements that allowed some degree of autonomy to Druze fighters to exert control in the southern area.
- And then there is Israel. Israeli authorities have repeatedly said that they want the area in southwestern Syria, along with its borders, free from government forces. They want a demilitarised zone.
- The Syrian government now faces a dilemma: either pull out from southern Syria – giving in to Israeli demands and agreeing to allow a degree of autonomy to the Druze community, at the cost of failing to exert authority across the whole country – or maintain troops there and face greater instability.
What we know so far on Israel’s attacks on Damascus
- The Israeli military has struck the Syrian Defence Ministry in Damascus. It also attacked an area close to the presidential palace.
- Syria’s state news agency SANA, citing the Health Ministry, said one person has been killed and 18 wounded in the Israeli air strikes on Damascus.
- The bombing came hours after the Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, threatened the Syrian government to withdraw from Suwayda, where fierce clashes have occurred in recent days with fighters from Syria’s Druze minority.
- After the strikes on Damascus, Katz posted a video of a Syrian presenter abruptly taking shelter after a large explosion was seen and heard behind her, with the caption, “The heavy blows have started.”
‘No clear objectives’ to Israel’s strikes on Syria
Ammar Kahf, executive director of Omran Center for Strategic Studies, says Israel is seeking to cause “havoc and chaos” in Syria to destabilise the new government after its major bombardment.
“It refuses the right of the central government to control all areas, and it continues to want to impose its own rule [in Syria]. There are rumours now of an additional land incursion and more conditions placed on Damascus,” Kahf told Al Jazeera.
He said Israel is not acting with “an endgame” when it comes to the regional conflicts it’s engaged in.
“No one really knows the end result; there is no logic to this. There are no clear objectives of this operation. The puzzling part is the Syrian government has shown a tremendous amount of self-restraint during the past nine months on the incursions, the occupation, and all the attacks by the Israelis.”
One killed, 18 injured in Damascus strikes
The number of casualties from the Israeli air attacks on the Syrian capital continues to rise.
The Syrian state news agency now reports that at least one person was killed and 18 others were wounded in the attacks.
Photos: Aftermath of Israeli attack on Damascus
Number of injuries in Damascus rises
At least 13 people are now being reported wounded in the Israeli attacks on the Syrian capital, according to state media citing the country’s Health Ministry.
The previous number of wounded people stood at nine.
A look back at Israel’s military campaign against Syria in December
In light of the latest events in Damascus, as well as the southern city of Suwayda, let’s take a look back at December, when Israel launched hundreds of attacks across Syria:
- In the days following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad on December 8, the Israeli military launched a military campaign that pummeled Syria with more than 600 strikes, including attacks on air defence systems and missile depots in Damascus.
- The campaign to cripple Syria’s military also targeted Tartous, home to Syria’s naval forces.
- In parallel, Israeli troops entered a United Nations-patrolled buffer zone that separated Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights, violating a 1974 armistice agreement and destroying roads, power lines and water networks in the southeastern Quneitra region after people refused to follow their orders to evacuate.
- At the time, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s office also announced plans to increase the number of settlers in the Golan Heights, which it has illegally occupied since 1967.
Photos: The moment Israel struck Damascus
