After new strikes, the Israeli army said « to be deployed in the South » in support of the Druzes – Liberation
A few hours later having targeted the surroundings of the presidential palaceIsraeli aviation led new strikes across Syria on the night of Friday 2 to Saturday May 3, the bombing « The most violent » Since the start of the year, the Syrian Human Rights Observatory (OSDH) said. According to this NGO, which has a vast network of source in the country at war, « More than 20 Israeli strikes have targeted warehouses and military sites in Deraa, near Damascus and in the Hama and Latquié regions ».
The official Syrian agency Sana has announced that a « civil » was killed In the vicinity of the capital, the Israeli army confirming for its part having targeted military infrastructure near the capital of Syria, a country with which Israel is still in a state of war.
During the morning, a military statement said that the Israeli army « Is deployed in southern Syria and is ready to prevent the entry of hostile forces into the Druzes villages zone », Without giving more details on the number of Israeli troops in Syria, nor the extent of this deployment.
Since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in December, Israel, who considers the new authorities with distrustled hundreds of attacks on military sites in Syria, saying that he wanted to fall into the hands of the new authorities which he describes as « Jihadists ». The Hebrew state has also sent troops to a demilitarized area of the Golan Plateau.
At dawn Friday, Israel announced that he had bombed near the presidential palace of Ahmed al-Charaa, as a warning against any damage to the Druze minority in Syria. What the Syrian presidency described as « Dangerous escalation » was also sentenced by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
These facts occurred after denominational violence At the start of the week between armed groups linked to Syrian power and Druzes fighters who left more than 100 dead near Damascus and in the south, neighboring Israel, according to the OSDH.
According to independent analyst Michael Horowitz, Israel « Hope for both local allies, particularly in the South Syrian, but also weigh in the scale at a time when the future of Syria remains uncertain ».
“It is a clear message sent to the Syrian regime. We will not allow forces (Syrian) to be dispatched south of Damascus or threaten any way the Druze community « said Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Israel Katz.
In response, Qatar has castigated a « Clear aggression against sovereignty » of Syria, while Saudi Arabia has « Reaffirmed his categorical rejection of Israeli aggressions undermining stability » of the country. « Syria should not become the playground for regional tensions » warned Germany, calling for the new Syrian power to ensure « Protection of the civilian population » And « All actors » to « the greatest restraint ».
Israel had threatened to act « Force » If Damascus did not protect his Druze community. Since the coming to power, on December 8, of a coalition led by Sunni Islamists, Israel has taken up the cause for the Druze of Syria. This esoteric community, from a branch of Shiite Islam, is also located in Israel and Lebanon.
In this context, President Ahmed Al-Charaa received Lebanese Druze chief Walid Joumblatt, who called his co-religionists in Syria on Friday in Damascus in Syria in Damascus in Syria « Refuse Israel’s interference ».
Update : At 11:50 am, with the addition of the Israeli army press release on its deployment in southern Syria.
