logo
Israeli military strikes near Syria's presidential palace after warning over sectarian attacks

Israeli military strikes near Syria's presidential palace after warning over sectarian attacks

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Israel's air force struck near Syria's presidential palace early Friday after warning Syrian authorities not to march toward villages inhabited by members of a minority sect in southern Syria.
The strike came after days of clashes between pro-Syrian government gunmen and fighters who belong to the Druze minority sect near the capital, Damascus. The clashes left dozens of people dead or wounded.
Syria's presidency condemned the Israeli airstrike, calling it a 'dangerous escalation against state institutions and the soveignty of the state.' It called on the international community to stand by Syria, saying that such attacks 'target Syria national security and the unity of the Syrian people.'
Friday's strike was Israel's second on Syria this week, and attacking an area close to the presidential palace appears to send a strong warning to Syria's new leadership that is mostly made up of Islamist groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
On Thursday, Syria's Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri harshly criticized Syria's government for what he called an 'unjustified genocidal attack' on the minority community.
Early Friday, the Druze religious leadership said that the community is part of Syria and refuses to break away from the country, adding that the role of the state should be activated in the southern province of Sweida and authorities should be in control of the Sweida-Damascus highway.
'We confirm our commitment to a country that includes all Syrians, a nation that is free of strife,' the statement said.
In the Damascus suburb of Jaramana, where fighting occurred earlier this week, security forces deployed inside the area along with local Druze gunmen, and at a later stage heavy weapons will be handed over to authorities. As part of the deal, forces from the defense ministry will deploy around Jaramana without going inside.
Israeli fighter jets strike near the palace
The Israeli army said that fighter jets struck adjacent to the area of the Palace of President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Damascus. Its statement gave no further details.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the strike was 'a clear message' to Syrian leaders.
'We will not allow the deployment of forces south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community," the joint statement said.
Pro-government Syrian media outlets said that the strike hit close to the People's Palace on a hill overlooking the city.
Over the past two days, the Israeli military said that it had evacuated Syrian Druze who were wounded in the fighting.
The Israeli army said in a statement Friday that a soldier was killed and three were slightly injured in an accident in the Golan Heights. An army statement added that the soldiers were evacuated to receive medical treatment at a hospital and that the circumstances of the incident were being investigated.
Clashes set off by disputed audio clip
The clashes broke out around midnight Monday after an audio clip circulated on social media of a man criticizing Islam's Prophet Muhammad. The audio was attributed to a Druze cleric. But cleric Marwan Kiwan said in a video posted on social media that he was not responsible for the audio, which angered many Sunni Muslims.
Syria's Information Ministry said that 11 members of the country's security forces were killed in two separate attacks, while Britain-based war monitor The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that 99 people — over the past four days of which 51 were killed in Sahnaya and the Druze-majority Damascus suburb of Jaramana — were killed in clashes, among them local gunmen and security forces.
The Druze religious sect is a minority group that began as a 10th-century offshoot of Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam. More than half of the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria, largely in the southern Sweida province and some suburbs of Damascus.
Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

French plan to recognize Palestinian state draws fire from Israel, US
French plan to recognize Palestinian state draws fire from Israel, US

USA Today

time25 minutes ago

  • USA Today

French plan to recognize Palestinian state draws fire from Israel, US

PARIS/WASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) - France intends to recognize a Palestinian state in September at the United Nations General Assembly, President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday in hopes of bringing peace to the region, but the plan drew angry rebukes from Israel and the United States. Macron, who unveiled the decision on X, published a letter sent to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming France's intention to press ahead with Palestinian recognition and work to convincing other partners to follow suit. "True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the state of Palestine," Macron said. "I will make this solemn announcement at the United Nations General Assembly next September." More: Israel and US recall teams from Gaza truce talks, US says Hamas not showing good faith Home to Europe's largest Jewish and Muslim communities, France will become the first major Western country to recognise a Palestinian state, potentially fuelling a movement so far dominated by smaller nations generally more critical of Israel. The news sparked anger in Israel and Washington. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the decision by one of Israel's closest allies and a G7 member, saying such a move "rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy." In a post on X, he added, "A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it. "Let's be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel." Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the move as "a disgrace and a surrender to terrorism," adding that Israel would not allow the establishment of a "Palestinian entity that would harm our security, endanger our existence." More: More than 100 aid, rights groups call for action as hunger spreads in Gaza In response, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States "strongly rejects (Macron's) plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly." In a post on X, he said, "This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th." Earlier, Canada also pressed Israel to seek peace, with Prime Minister Mark Carney condemning its "failure to prevent the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza" and reiterating support for a two-state solution. Carney also accused Israel of violating international law over the blocking of Canadian-funded aid to civilians in the war-torn Palestinian enclave. More: Ms. Rachel says she won't work with anyone who hasn't spoken out about Gaza "Canada calls on all sides to negotiate an immediate ceasefire in good faith," he added. "We reiterate our calls for Hamas to immediately release all the hostages, and for the Israeli government to respect the territorial integrity of the West Bank and Gaza." In a diplomatic cable in June, the United States said it opposed steps to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state, even saying it could go against U.S. foreign policy interests and draw consequences. In June, Washington's ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said he did not think an independent Palestinian state remained a U.S. foreign policy goal. President Donald Trump has himself expressed doubts about a two-state solution, proposing a U.S. takeover of Gaza in February, that was condemned by rights groups, Arab states, Palestinians and the U.N. as a proposal of "ethnic cleansing". Macron had been leaning towards recognising a Palestinian state for months as part of a bid to keep the idea of a two-state solution alive, despite the pressure not to do so. More: UK, France and 23 other nations condemn Israel over 'inhumane killing' of civilians French officials initially weighed up the move ahead of a United Nations conference, which France and Saudi Arabia had planned to co-host in June to lay out parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel's security. The conference was postponed under U.S. pressure and after the 12-day Israel-Iran air war began, during which the closure of regional airspace made it hard for representatives of some Arab states to attend. It was rescheduled and downgraded to a ministerial event on July 28 and July 29, with a second event taking place with heads of state and government on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September. CREATING MOMENTUM The decision to make the announcement ahead of next week's conference aimed to give the French team at the United Nations a framework to work with other countries that are also considering recognising a Palestinian state or have misgivings in doing so. Diplomats say Macron has faced resistance from allies such as Britain and Canada over his push for the recognition of a Palestinian state. About 40 foreign ministers will be in New York next week. Israeli officials have spent months lobbying to prevent what some have called "a nuclear bomb" for bilateral ties. Sources familiar with the matter say Israel's warnings to France have ranged from scaling back intelligence sharing to complicating Paris' regional initiatives - even hinting at possible annexation of parts of the West Bank. Israel has been waging a devastating war in Gaza since the Palestinian militant group Hamas' deadly attack on Israel in October 2023 and says recognising a Palestinian state now would be equivalent to rewarding Hamas. Thanking France, the Palestinian Authority's Vice President Hussein Al Sheikh said on X that Macron's decision reflected "France's commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people's rights to self-determination and the establishment of our independent state." (Reporting by John Irish; Additional Reporting by Enas Alashray and Yomna Ehab in Cairo and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Clarence Fernandez)

Tulsi Gabbard's 'treason' allegation triggers a high-wire act from Obama world
Tulsi Gabbard's 'treason' allegation triggers a high-wire act from Obama world

NBC News

time26 minutes ago

  • NBC News

Tulsi Gabbard's 'treason' allegation triggers a high-wire act from Obama world

To former aides who worked in Barack Obama's White House, the Trump administration's allegations of 'treason' carried the stench of desperation from a president straining to shift the focus from a burgeoning scandal around Jeffrey Epstein. Still, they're grappling with how to contain the unprecedented accusations National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard has leveled, even as they dismiss them as asinine, interviews with more than half a dozen people who worked in Obama's White House or on his campaigns reveal. These people say the events of the last week have turned into a messaging balancing act between unnecessarily giving oxygen to the claims that Obama ordered a false intelligence analysis to show Russia had worked to help Trump win the 2016 election and leaving the potential for unchecked accusations to balloon. Many of those who talked to NBC News were not authorized to speak publicly about strategy. 'The battle now is to play this even to make sure that thoughts don't start to creep into more mainstream' audiences, a former Obama administration official said. That person said it was important to reach "mainstream Republicans," who would listen to editorial boards and those in Congress who deemed the allegations against Obama as "beyond the pale." Some expressed uncertainty over what to expect next from Trump or his lieutenants, charging that the administration could grow more bullish to draw attention away from a string of explosive Epstein stories that Trump is struggling to tamp down. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but it has said there is merit to accusations around Obama. 'I don't know what is ahead, and I don't know what their plans and intentions are,' John Brennan, who was CIA director in the Obama administration, told NBC News. 'I just find all of this very troubling when it is being done by individuals who serve in such important positions and know what they are doing is wrong.' Former National Intelligence Director James Clapper echoed Brennan's ambiguity over the Trump administration's intentions, telling CNN he would 'lawyer up.' National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe leveled claims last week that Obama administration officials manipulated intelligence and conspired to undermine the legitimacy of Trump's electoral victory in 2016. Gabbard posted on social media last Friday that she was making a criminal referral to the Justice Department. Then, this week, she stepped up publicity around the accusations from the White House briefing room. Broadly, the former Obama aides unequivocally say that there is zero merit to the allegations and that they do not believe they will lead anywhere. They point to a 2020 Senate investigation, which endorsed intelligence agencies' assessment that Russia had spread disinformation online and leaked stolen emails from the Democratic National Committee to undermine Hillary Clinton's 2016 candidacy and help Trump. Trump-appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio was the acting chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee at the time, which endorsed the findings. 'There is no factual basis for the allegations that Tulsi Gabbard is making. She's cherry-picking things from various documents that are out of context and mischaracterized,' Brennan said. 'To me, it's clear either she has not read the intelligence community assessment or she is purposely, willfully lying about the contents,' he added. Obama allies also say the timing of the allegations is suspect. They emerged as Trump has struggled to contend with his own base after his administration announced it would not release more documents tied to Epstein, a convicted sex offender who faced a litany of allegations of abuse of underage women before he died by suicide. On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal, owned by Rupert Murdoch, reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi told Trump in May that his name appears in the Epstein files — even though he told reporters this month that Bondi had not informed him that he was named. In the midst of a firestorm Trump has yet to shake, the administration brought out the allegations against Obama. Over the weekend, Trump reposted a fake AI-generated video of Obama being arrested on social media. Once Gabbard used the word 'treason,' Obama's team ramped up its messaging, leading Obama's spokesperson to release a carefully worded statement. It denounced Gabbard's accusations without mentioning Epstein, because it was 'below the dignity of the former president,' a former Obama administration official said. 'Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response,' Obama spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush said in a statement this week. 'But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction." Ned Price, who held roles under Obama as a special assistant to the president, a National Security Council senior director and spokesperson and as a CIA senior analyst under Obama and George W. Bush, said he believed it was imperative to reach conservative audiences with a response. On Wednesday, he wrote an opinion piece for Fox News titled: 'Americans should beware of Gabbard's 'dangerous distraction' with revisionist history of 2016 election.' 'This wasn't a piece I would have written for any mainstream or left-of-center outlet. This was designed solely and exclusively for Fox News, because that's where this fire of disinformation is raging,' Price said in an interview. 'I thought it was important ... to inject facts into that very venue in the hope that at least a few people would read it and be exposed to what actually transpired in 2016.'

As Taiwan voters decide fate of ‘pro-China' lawmakers, TV show paints ominous future
As Taiwan voters decide fate of ‘pro-China' lawmakers, TV show paints ominous future

CNN

time26 minutes ago

  • CNN

As Taiwan voters decide fate of ‘pro-China' lawmakers, TV show paints ominous future

Taiwan is gearing up for another election – this time to unseat 'pro-China' lawmakers. The vote could break the political gridlock the island is in, with disagreements turning into brawls in the parliament, hampering Taiwan President Lai Ching-te's ability to push forward his agenda that addresses key US concerns over Taiwan. The vote comes after the premier of Zero Day, a TV series which dramatizes what it could look like if China were to attack Taiwan, told from a Taiwanese perspective, and Taiwan's biggest military drill and civil defense exercise. CNN's Will Ripley breaks all of it down.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store