The Israeli army announced early Friday that it had launched airstrikes near the presidential palace in the Syrian capital, Damascus, marking a new escalation just two days after a previous strike, as Israel claims to be acting in defense of the Druze minority.

Army spokesperson Avichay Adraee stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that “Israeli warplanes struck the area adjacent to the Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa Presidential Palace in Damascus,” without providing further details about the targets or potential casualties.

In a joint statement with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed: “Israel carried out an airstrike last night near the presidential palace in Damascus.” He added, “This is a clear message to the Syrian regime: we will not allow its forces to deploy south of Damascus or pose any threat to the Druze community.”

This marks the second Israeli strike on Syrian territory within 48 hours, amid rising regional tensions and repeated Israeli declarations to defend the Druze population.