Several Arab countries have condemned Israel’s airstrikes on Syria, which targeted positions belonging to the Ministries of Defense and Interior and reportedly killed members of the military and internal security forces.

On Wednesday, July 16, Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on its official website denouncing Israel’s repeated attacks on Syrian and Lebanese territory. The statement warned that continued Israeli violations would deepen regional tensions and further destabilize Syria, Lebanon, and the broader Middle East.

The ministry also said Egypt is engaged in regional and international diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalation and the promotion of regional stability.

In a statement published by Jordan’s state-run Petra News Agency, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sufyan Qudah called for an immediate end to the Israeli strikes, affirming Jordan’s solidarity with Syria’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.

Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed concern over rising tensions in Syria, urging all Syrian parties to exercise restraint, prioritize dialogue, and end confrontations that worsen the suffering of the Syrian people and hinder efforts toward stability, according to Iraq’s state news agency INA.

The foreign ministries of Qatar and Kuwait also condemned the Israeli strikes, describing them as a continuation of violations of international law and the UN Charter.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning the attacks as a violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement between Syria and Israel.

Despite reports that Israel had pledged to the United States it would pause attacks on Syrian army forces in Suwayda as of Tuesday evening, July 15, the airstrikes resumed the next day, according to Reuters, citing an unnamed U.S. official.

On Wednesday, Israel launched three airstrikes on the General Staff building in Damascus, according to Enab Baladi. Another strike hit an area near the presidential palace in the capital.

An Israeli security source told Army Radio that the Air Force had targeted the Syrian General Staff headquarters in Damascus.

In a post on X , IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee said the army had struck “the entrance gate to the regime’s General Staff compound in Damascus.”

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz again called on the Syrian army to withdraw from Suwayda, warning of continued escalation if it failed to do so. In comments carried by Israeli media, including The Times of Israel, Katz stated, “The Syrian regime must leave Suwayda and withdraw its forces.”

He added, “As we’ve made clear and warned, Israel will not abandon the Druze in Syria and will enforce the disarmament policy we have adopted.”

Katz said Israeli forces would continue targeting regime troops until their withdrawal and warned, “The level of our response will soon increase if the message is not understood.”

In Suwayda, clashes between government forces and local factions entered their third day, leaving dozens dead on both sides.

The city’s National Hospital was hit by five mortar shells and gunfire on Wednesday morning, knocking its emergency ward out of service. Osama Qandilft, head of Suwayda’s Health Directorate, described the medical situation as “catastrophic,” citing a severe shortage of staff and medical supplies to treat the wounded.

Qandilft said the shelling damaged water tanks, flooding the emergency room and forcing medical teams to move patients into the hospital lobby.