Israel conducts ‘warning operation’ in Syria, violating country’s sovereignty

Israel conducted a “warning operation” in Syria on April 30, 2025, targeting an armed group allegedly preparing to attack the Druze community in Sahnaya near Damascus, Anadolu Agency reported.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz stated the strike aimed to prevent harm to the Druze and send a “serious message” to Syria’s leadership.

The Syrian Health Ministry reported that 11 civilians and security personnel were killed in attacks by “outlaw groups” in Ashrafieh Sahnaya. Syria condemned the strike as a violation of its sovereignty and called for Israeli withdrawal.

Israel controls most of the Golan Heights, annexed in 1981, a move recognized only by the US. Since December 2024, Israel has occupied Syria’s demilitarized buffer zone, ending the 1974 disengagement agreement without a withdrawal plan.

Syria’s Druze population numbers around 23,000 in the Golan Heights, while Israel’s Druze population is about 150,000, mostly Israeli citizens. Damascus rejects Israel’s narrative of attacks on the Druze as a pretext for territorial expansion.