On Wednesday, July 16, the Israeli Air Force carried out an airstrike near the Syrian presidential palace in Damascus, shortly after striking the Syrian army’s General Staff headquarters in the capital. The earlier strike reportedly caused partial destruction of the facility.

Images circulated on social media showed smoke rising in the vicinity of the presidential palace.

According to Israeli Army Radio, the strike near the palace was described as a “warning attack” and took place in parallel with the strikes on the General Staff building.

Earlier that day, Israel had launched three consecutive airstrikes on the General Staff headquarters in Damascus, partially destroying the structure. A security source confirmed to Army Radio that the Israeli Air Force was responsible for the attack.

The strikes came amid repeated Israeli declarations to protect Syria’s Druze population in Suwayda.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on X ,“The warnings to Damascus are over—now come the painful blows.”

He added, “We will continue forcefully in Suwayda to destroy the forces that attacked the Druze until they withdraw.”

As of publication time, no official Syrian government sources had issued a statement regarding the strikes.

The airstrikes coincide with clashes in Suwayda between Syrian government forces and local factions, which the state refers to as “outlaw groups.”

Earlier in the day, Katz warned that Israeli escalation would continue if the Syrian army did not withdraw from Suwayda.

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

He added that the Israeli army would continue targeting Syrian government forces until their withdrawal and cautioned:
“The level of our response will soon escalate if the message is not understood.”

On the ground, Syrian government forces have reportedly taken control of most of Suwayda city, while local factions have retreated to the southern and eastern countryside.

Israeli Airstrikes Destroy General Staff Building in Damascus