ISRAEL BOMBS SYRIAN CAPITAL : Despite US Pressure to " Stand Down"

Irfan Bhatti

Israel Launches Airstrikes on Syrian Capital, Targets Army HQ"*  Israel carried out airstrikes on the Syrian army's headquarters in Damascus, warning the government to leave the Druze minority alone. The attacks resulted in at least one death and 18 injuries. Israel's military said it struck the entrance of the Syrian regime's military headquarters and a "military target" near the presidential palace.  Cause of Conflict*: Israel's actions aim to protect the Druze community from Syrian government forces and allied militias. - *Casualties*: At least one person killed, 18 wounded in Damascus strikes. - *International Reaction*: The US, France, Germany, and the Gulf Cooperation Council condemned the attacks, urging respect for Syria's sovereignty.

Transcript

00:00The Trump administration has asked Israel to halt its strikes on Syrian government targets

00:10and to open direct talks with Damascus, a senior U.S. official told Axios on Wednesday.

00:16Why it matters.

00:17U.S. officials are highly concerned that the Israeli attacks,

00:21including on Syrian military headquarters in Damascus and near the presidential palace,

00:25could destabilize the new Syrian government.

00:28The official said the past 48 hours could seriously undermine progress toward a new security agreement

00:33between Israel and Syria as a first step toward normalization.

00:38Those discussions had previously been showing significant progress, the official said.

00:43Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated to reporters that the United States is

00:48very concerned about Israeli strikes in Syria and wishes for the fighting to cease.

00:54U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barak conducted several calls on Tuesday and Wednesday

00:59with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's top advisor Ron Dermer to push for de-escalation.

01:05We told the Israelis to stand down and take a breath.

01:08A senior U.S. official stated, adding that the administration is advocating for direct talks

01:14between Israel and Syria to resolve the conflict.

01:17When the Syrian government sent in tanks to try to restore order,

01:20the Israeli Air Force attacked those tanks.

01:23The U.S. official said Syria had notified Israel in advance about the tanks and said

01:28its response was not directed at Israel.

01:31But Israeli officials claim the tanks entered a zone that Israel,

01:34which is occupying parts of western Syria, has demanded be demilitarized of heavy weapons.

01:40On Tuesday night local time and into Wednesday morning,

01:44Israel escalated its strikes against Syrian government targets in southern Syria and in Damascus.

01:49Despite the U.S. push for calm, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that it's sending

01:54reinforcements to the border with Syria to facilitate more strikes and stop the attacks against the Druze.

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