A Syrian news anchor was mid-broadcast when explosions rocked the state TV building in Damascus. Cameras caught the anchor bolting from the set as Israeli airstrikes smashed into the compound late Wednesday. The footage spread instantly — an unfiltered glimpse of a conflict that has just torn open another front.
Israel confirmed its jets targeted the TV building alongside other high-level military sites in the capital. One strike blew open the entrance to Syria’s General Staff Compound, the nerve centre for operations and troop movements across the country.
Targets: HQs and the Presidential palace
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released videos showing missiles hitting the General Staff Compound. Another hit landed near Syria’s Presidential Palace, perched on a hill above Damascus. Witnesses told AFP they heard blasts and saw smoke curling above the palace. A local woman, afraid to be named, said she watched from her balcony as the city skyline lit up.
Syrian state TV, quoting AFP, confirmed the “entrance of the Syrian regime’s military headquarters” was struck. Later, Israel’s military said a “military target in the area of the Syrian regime’s Presidential Palace in Damascus was struck” too.
Israel says it’s defending the Druze
So, what sparked this? Israel says the raids are a direct response to attacks on Druze civilians in Syria’s south, especially in Sweida province. The IDF insists the airstrikes are happening “in accordance with directives from the political echelon” and are meant to stop threats near Israel’s border.
Defence Minister Israel Katz didn’t mince words. “The Syrian regime must pull back and leave the Druze community in Sweida alone,” he said. “Israel will not abandon the Druze in Syria.” Katz later posted the viral video of the disrupted broadcast on X, writing, “The painful blows have begun.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar joined the warnings, calling Syria’s government “an unelected regime that seized power by force of arms.” He added, “Israel’s interests in this country are well known: to keep the situation as it is and to ensure that southern Syria does not pose a threat.”
Ceasefire collapses, fighting erupts
Sweida had stayed relatively calm for years. But a local ceasefire between Druze militias and government troops fell apart recently. Tit-for-tat kidnappings between Druze factions and Sunni Bedouin tribes escalated into street battles and heavy shelling. Assad’s old army, now loyal to Syria’s new Sunni-majority rulers, blames the militias for breaking the truce and vows to “restore stability”.
Reports say the fighting has grown brutal. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights puts the death toll at over 250, including 21 people allegedly executed on the spot. Armed factions and government units alike stand accused of extrajudicial killings and looting.
Assad gone, but the chaos stays
All this turmoil follows the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad last December. A rebel push swept him out after nearly 14 years of civil war. His removal hasn’t brought peace. Instead, the Sunni-led government now faces pushback from minorities like the Druze and holdout loyalists.
The Druze, spread across Syria, Lebanon and Israel, are caught in the crossfire. Some back the new rulers. Others want autonomy in Sweida, which has become the symbol of that deep divide.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the Druze not to cross into Syria, after dozens moved back and forth across the armistice line during the fighting. “Do not cross the border,” he warned, calling the situation in Sweida “very serious”.
Israel has started moving troops from Gaza to its northern border. Katz says the army will keep striking Syrian positions until regime forces back away. “The warnings in Damascus have ended — now come the painful blows,” he wrote on X. “Our Druze brothers in Israel, you can rely on the Israel Defense Forces to protect your brothers in Syria.”
Washington, meanwhile, is trying to talk to both sides. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “We’re talking to both sides, all the relevant sides on this and hopefully we can bring it to a conclusion, but we’re very concerned.”
One thing is clear. The live TV broadcast that ended in panic shows just how fast this can spiral. A ceasefire gone, a capital bombed on camera and a religious minority caught between bigger powers. Israel says it’s protecting the Druze. Syria says civilians are paying the price. And in Damascus, the TV lights flicker back on, ready for whatever hits next.
Israel confirmed its jets targeted the TV building alongside other high-level military sites in the capital. One strike blew open the entrance to Syria’s General Staff Compound, the nerve centre for operations and troop movements across the country.
החלו המכות הכואבות pic.twitter.com/1kJFFXoiua
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) July 16, 2025
Targets: HQs and the Presidential palace
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released videos showing missiles hitting the General Staff Compound. Another hit landed near Syria’s Presidential Palace, perched on a hill above Damascus. Witnesses told AFP they heard blasts and saw smoke curling above the palace. A local woman, afraid to be named, said she watched from her balcony as the city skyline lit up.
Syrian state TV, quoting AFP, confirmed the “entrance of the Syrian regime’s military headquarters” was struck. Later, Israel’s military said a “military target in the area of the Syrian regime’s Presidential Palace in Damascus was struck” too.
Israel says it’s defending the Druze
So, what sparked this? Israel says the raids are a direct response to attacks on Druze civilians in Syria’s south, especially in Sweida province. The IDF insists the airstrikes are happening “in accordance with directives from the political echelon” and are meant to stop threats near Israel’s border.
Defence Minister Israel Katz didn’t mince words. “The Syrian regime must pull back and leave the Druze community in Sweida alone,” he said. “Israel will not abandon the Druze in Syria.” Katz later posted the viral video of the disrupted broadcast on X, writing, “The painful blows have begun.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar joined the warnings, calling Syria’s government “an unelected regime that seized power by force of arms.” He added, “Israel’s interests in this country are well known: to keep the situation as it is and to ensure that southern Syria does not pose a threat.”
Ceasefire collapses, fighting erupts
Sweida had stayed relatively calm for years. But a local ceasefire between Druze militias and government troops fell apart recently. Tit-for-tat kidnappings between Druze factions and Sunni Bedouin tribes escalated into street battles and heavy shelling. Assad’s old army, now loyal to Syria’s new Sunni-majority rulers, blames the militias for breaking the truce and vows to “restore stability”.
Reports say the fighting has grown brutal. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights puts the death toll at over 250, including 21 people allegedly executed on the spot. Armed factions and government units alike stand accused of extrajudicial killings and looting.
Assad gone, but the chaos stays
All this turmoil follows the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad last December. A rebel push swept him out after nearly 14 years of civil war. His removal hasn’t brought peace. Instead, the Sunni-led government now faces pushback from minorities like the Druze and holdout loyalists.
The Druze, spread across Syria, Lebanon and Israel, are caught in the crossfire. Some back the new rulers. Others want autonomy in Sweida, which has become the symbol of that deep divide.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the Druze not to cross into Syria, after dozens moved back and forth across the armistice line during the fighting. “Do not cross the border,” he warned, calling the situation in Sweida “very serious”.
Israel has started moving troops from Gaza to its northern border. Katz says the army will keep striking Syrian positions until regime forces back away. “The warnings in Damascus have ended — now come the painful blows,” he wrote on X. “Our Druze brothers in Israel, you can rely on the Israel Defense Forces to protect your brothers in Syria.”
Washington, meanwhile, is trying to talk to both sides. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “We’re talking to both sides, all the relevant sides on this and hopefully we can bring it to a conclusion, but we’re very concerned.”
One thing is clear. The live TV broadcast that ended in panic shows just how fast this can spiral. A ceasefire gone, a capital bombed on camera and a religious minority caught between bigger powers. Israel says it’s protecting the Druze. Syria says civilians are paying the price. And in Damascus, the TV lights flicker back on, ready for whatever hits next.
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