WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday expressed deep concern over Israel’s military strikes on Syrian government institutions, warning that the violence impeded efforts to bring stability to the country.
“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,” Rubio said when asked by a reporter about the Israeli strikes.
In fuller comments afterward, Rubio did not directly reference Israel but spoke of the clashes in the majority-Druze city of Sweida that Israel cited for its intervention.
“We are very worried about the violence in southern Syria. It is a direct threat to efforts to help build a peaceful and stable Syria,” Rubio said in a statement.
“We have been and remain in repeated and constant talks with the governments of Syria and Israel on this matter.”
Israel strikes Damascus
Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday targeted high-level military and government sites in Syria’s capital, Damascus, including areas near the presidential palace and the headquarters of the Ministry of Defence.
Syrian state television confirmed that sites near the Syrian army and defence ministry headquarters were also hit.
Syria’s Ministry of Health reported that at least 13 people were wounded in the Israeli strikes, with powerful explosions heard across the capital.
Al Jazeera TV broadcast live footage showing severe damage to the Ministry of Defence building.
According to Channel 12 in Israel, the strikes were part of a coordinated assault that also targeted the entrance to Syria’s General Staff complex.
The Israeli Defence Ministry said these were the beginning of “painful attacks on Syria,” with additional fighter jets and drones deployed to the Syrian front.
Israeli military radio also reported the mobilisation of two brigades towards the Golan Heights.
The escalation came after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a stern warning to the Syrian government, cautioning it “leave the Druze alone” in the southern city of Suwayda, where clashes between Druze factions, Bedouin tribes, and government forces have erupted in recent days.
Katz warned that “warning messages to Damascus are over—now come the decisive blows.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu justified the strikes, stating that they aimed to “rescue our Druze brothers and eliminate regime armed groups.”
He reiterated that Israel would not accept the presence of Syrian government forces near its borders, calling for the demilitarisation of southern Syria. Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi reportedly ordered a surge in Israeli airpower.
The Israeli strikes have drawn strong condemnation from regional and international actors.
