UN slams Israeli airstrikes in Syria as clashes with Druze fighters intensify
The United Nations on Saturday strongly criticised a wave of Israeli airstrikes on Syria, calling for an immediate halt to the attacks. This came as Israel confirmed its troops were on the ground in southern Syria to protect the country's Druze minority, after several days of deadly clashes between Syrian Druze fighters and pro-government gunmen.
Syrian media said the Israeli airstrikes late Friday hit several areas, including the capital Damascus and its outskirts, as well as parts of southern and central Syria, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Israel's army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on X that the strikes targeted a military base and anti-aircraft systems. He said Israeli forces were present in southern Syria 'to prevent any hostile force from entering the area or Druze villages.' He also confirmed that five injured Syrian Druze were brought to Israel for treatment.
#عاجل 🔴 تم إجلاء الليلة الماضية خمسة مواطنين سوريين من أبناء الطائفة الدرزية لتلقي العلاج الطبي داخل إسرائيل حيث تم نقلهم إلى المركز الطبي زيف في تسفات (صفد) بعد إصابتهم داخل سوريا.
🔴 تنتشر قوات جيش الدفاع في منطقة جنوب سوريا وتبقى مستعدة لمنع دخول قوات معادية إلى المنطقة…
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) May 3, 2025
According to Syria's state news agency SANA, four people were hurt in central Syria. The attacks also hit Harasta near eastern Damascus, as well as the provinces of Daraa in the south and Hama in the centre of the country, AP reported.
The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir O Pedersen, condemned the airstrikes in a message on X. 'I strongly condemn Israel's continued and escalating violations of Syria's sovereignty, including multiple airstrikes in Damascus and other cities,' he said. Pedersen called on Israel to 'stop endangering Syrian civilians' and to respect Syria's independence and borders.
. @GeirOPedersen I strongly condemn Israel's continued and escalating violations of Syria's sovereignty, including multiple airstrikes in Damascus and other cities.
— UN Special Envoy for Syria (@UNEnvoySyria) May 3, 2025
The fighting has gone on for four days, leaving almost 100 people dead. It is the most serious fighting between Syrian government forces and Druze fighters since President Bashar Assad was overthrown in December. His family had ruled Syria for more than 50 years.
Israel has its own Druze community and has promised to protect the Druze people in Syria. It has also warned Islamist groups to stay away from areas where Druze live. Since Assad's fall, Israel has launched many airstrikes in Syria and taken control of a buffer zone near the Golan Heights.
The Druze are a small religious group that started in the 10th century as a part of Shiite Islam. Around half of the estimated 1 million Druze in the world live in Syria, mostly in the southern Sweida province and suburbs of Damascus like Jaramana and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya. Others live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in 1967 and later annexed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
16 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Iran holds funeral for top brass, scientists killed in Israeli strikes
Mourners dressed in black lined streets in Iran's capital Tehran at a funeral on Saturday for top military commanders, nuclear scientists and some of the civilians killed during this month's war with Israel. People attend the funeral procession of Iranian military commanders, nuclear scientists and others killed in Israeli strikes in Tehran.(Reuters) At least 16 scientists and 10 senior commanders were among those mourned at the funeral, according to state media, including armed forces chief Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Revolutionary Guards commander General Hossein Salami, and Guards Aerospace Force chief General Amir Ali Hajizadeh. Their coffins were driven into Tehran's Azadi Square adorned with their pictures as well as rose petals and flowers, as crowds waved Iranian flags. State-run Press TV showed an image of ballistic missiles on display. State TV said the funeral, dubbed the "funeral procession of the Martyrs of Power", was held for a total of 60 people killed in the war, including four women and four children. Attending the funeral were President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior figures including Ali Shamkhani, who was seriously wounded during the conflict and is an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Bagheri, Salami and Hajizadeh were killed on June 13, the first day of the war. Israel, the only Middle Eastern country widely believed to have nuclear weapons, said its war against regional rival Iran aimed to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons. Iran denies having a nuclear weapons program. The U.N. nuclear watchdog, which carries out inspections in Iran, has said it has "no credible indication" of an active, coordinated weapons programme in Iran. A senior Israeli military official said on Friday that Israel had killed more than 30 senior security officials and 11 senior nuclear scientists during the war. According to Iranian health ministry figures, 610 people were killed on the Iranian side in the 12-day war, 13 of them children and 49 women, before a ceasefire went into effect on Tuesday. More than 4,700 were injured. Activist news agency HRANA put the number of killed at 974, including 387 civilians. Israel's health ministry said 28 were killed in Israel and 3,238 injured.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
At least 34 people killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza as ceasefire prospects inch closer
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel At least 34 people were killed across Gaza by Israeli strikes, health staff say, as Palestinians face a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ceasefire prospects inch strikes began late Friday and continued into Saturday morning, among others killing 12 people at the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more living in apartments, according to staff at Shifa hospital where the bodies were brought. Six others were killed in southern Gaza when a strike hit their tent in Muwasi, according to the strikes come as U.S. President Donald Trump says there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters in the Oval Office Friday, the president said, "we're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of."An official with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that Israel's Minister for Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, will arrive in Washington next week for talks on Gaza's ceasefire, Iran and other subjects. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the have been on again off again since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the Strip's dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half of them believed to still be alive. They were part of some 250 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, sparking the 21-month-long war has killed over 56,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. It says more than half of the dead were women and is hope among hostage families that Trump's involvement in securing the recent ceasefire between Israel and Iran might exert more pressure for a deal in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is riding a wave of public support for the Iran war and its achievements, and he could feel he has more space to move toward ending the war in Gaza, something his far-right governing partners has repeatedly said it is prepared to free all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war in Gaza. Netanyahu says he will only end the war once Hamas is disarmed and exiled, something the group has hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza. After blocking all food for 2 1/2 months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies into the territory since by the United Nations to distribute the food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from have also been shot and wounded while on their way to get food at newly formed aid sites, run by the American and Israeli backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, according to Gaza's health officials and witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on the roads heading toward the sites. Israel's military said it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites.
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
Trust Under Fire: The World Watches Iran's Next Move
On June 25th, US President Donald Trump boldly declared that American and Israeli strikes may have wiped out Iran's nuclear program. 'We destroyed the nuclear,' he said, suggesting there's nothing more to demand from Iran—except a promise never to build nuclear weapons again. But not everyone is convinced. While Iran's nuclear infrastructure has clearly suffered serious damage, experts warn that it's too early to say the program is fully dismantled. Reports indicate that some facilities may still be intact. This uncertainty, if not addressed quickly, could grow into a far bigger problem. Despite the damage, Iran still seems to control a stockpile of highly enriched uranium. If enriched further, this material could be used to build several nuclear bombs. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance has acknowledged the risk and promised that Washington will act in the coming weeks—starting with talks that may soon resume with Tehran. President Trump insists that no new nuclear deal is needed. But the reality is more complicated. Real peace and long-term stability require smart diplomacy. Only through open discussions and strong verification can the world be sure about what nuclear capabilities Iran may still have. Iran's earlier strategy was to stay close to nuclear weapon capability without crossing the line—hoping it would prevent attacks. That strategy now lies in ruins. The recent strikes didn't just hit nuclear facilities; they also targeted military and political sites. This could push Iran to actually pursue nuclear weapons in secret. If that happens, Iran may avoid using big, well-known sites like Natanz or Fordow. Instead, it might choose small, hidden locations—harder to detect, even with advanced spy tools. Iran already has the ingredients: enriched uranium, high-tech centrifuges, and trained experts. Rebuilding its program could take months, not years. Even if Iran chooses not to restart its weapons program, the world must stay alert. Years of careful monitoring, funding, and cooperation will be needed to make sure nuclear ambitions don't quietly return. Iran's past record of hiding its activities adds to the challenge. Winning back global trust won't be easy. Making things harder is Iran's worsening relationship with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)—the world body that oversees peaceful use of nuclear technology. In the past, the IAEA played a crucial role in enforcing the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action). That deal gave inspectors access to key Iranian sites—some of which have now been destroyed. Tensions with the IAEA didn't begin with the recent war. In 2018, when the Trump administration pulled out of the JCPOA, Iran was still in compliance. But after that, Tehran began rolling back its own commitments. By 2021, it had stopped following the 'Additional Protocol,' which allowed IAEA inspectors deeper access. Most special monitoring measures under the JCPOA were also shut down. Despite limited access, the IAEA continued some inspections and found that Iran's nuclear program was growing more advanced. But Iran's refusal to cooperate pushed the IAEA's Board of Governors to declare, on June 12, that Tehran had violated its global commitments. The next day, Israel launched its military campaign. U.S. officials cited the IAEA report to justify their strikes. Even during the conflict, the IAEA urged Iran to remain in contact with its emergency team. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi reminded the U.N. Security Council: 'Nuclear sites and materials must not be hidden or put at risk during war.' Now that the guns have fallen silent, the big question is: what role can the IAEA still play? Iran is still a member of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), which requires it to report all nuclear sites and allow inspections under the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement. But the future of cooperation looks uncertain. Iran is angry. Its leaders feel the world didn't do enough to protect its nuclear sites. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has openly criticised the international community. Senior advisor Ali Larijani even warned the IAEA chief: 'Once the war ends, we will deal with Grossi.' Iran has already announced that it will stop sharing certain information with the IAEA. Its parliament has passed a bill calling for a complete halt to cooperation. In the days ahead, global leaders must tread carefully. It's important to understand Iran's genuine concerns and political pressures—without letting them become excuses for restarting a secret weapons program. The line between frustration and manipulation is thin and dangerous. Talks between the U.S. and Iran are expected soon. One of the top priorities should be restoring verification measures. The world needs to know what equipment, material, and expertise Iran still has—and whether these could be used to rebuild the nuclear program. A similar crisis happened after the first Gulf War, when Iraq gave up its nuclear plans but kept blocking inspectors. The world was never fully sure if Iraq had truly stopped, leading to years of doubt and foreign intervention. That approach didn't bring peace—and we must not repeat that mistake with Iran. If we want lasting peace, not just a pause between crises, countries must work together through international agreements and transparent systems. Recent events have shown the power of U.S. and Israeli intelligence—but also the risk of relying only on secret reports, which can be misread or misused. Rebuilding trust with Iran will be hard. But without cooperation and clear rules, the next crisis will be harder to prevent—and nearly impossible to stop once it begins.
