An Israeli airstrike targeted an area near Syria’s Presidential Palace in Damascus on July 16, in what appears to be a significant escalation of military operations inside the country.

According to official statements, the strike hit the entrance to the Syrian military’s General Staff compound. Witnesses reported loud explosions reverberating across central Damascus, with smoke rising near the palace complex. Syrian authorities confirmed that at least two civilians were injured, although no details were provided regarding possible military casualties.

The attack comes as Israel expands its campaign beyond southern Syria, where clashes between government forces and local Druze militias have intensified in recent weeks. Israeli officials said the strikes were intended to deter any threats to the Druze community, as well as to pressure Syrian forces to withdraw from contested areas in Sweida province.

The state's news agency SANA confirmed that loud blasts were heard in Damascus, while other outlets, including Syria TV, reported the presence of Israeli drones overhead shortly before the strikes. State television said two civilians were wounded in the attacks.

Security sources indicated that the Israeli air force targeted the Syrian Ministry of Defence in the capital, marking one of the most significant escalations in recent months. Later reports in Syrian media described substantial destruction at the headquarters of the General Staff building.

Russian reports said that Turkish officials warned the new Syrian regime and its leader Ahmed al-Sharaa to leave the government offices three hours before the Israeli strike on the iconic building. 

Israeli Defence Minister Yisrael Katz says the IDF will continue to strike Syrian government forces unless they withdraw from the Druze-majority city of Sweida, where deadly clashes have been taking place.

“The Syrian regime must leave the Druze in Sweida alone and withdraw its forces. As we have made clear and warned, Israel will not abandon the Druze in Syria and will enforce the demilitarisation policy we have decided on,” Katz says in a statement.

“The IDF will continue to strike regime forces until they withdraw from the area, and will soon escalate its response against the regime if the message is not understood,” he added.

Analysts noted that hitting targets near the presidential palace marks a clear shift in Israel’s approach, signalling a willingness to strike high-profile military and political sites rather than limiting operations to border regions.

The airstrike has raised concerns about the risk of wider confrontation as tensions continue to mount across Syria. Military observers said further escalations could follow if the situation in Sweida deteriorates or if Syrian forces refuse to alter their deployments near Israel’s borders.

The ceasefire announced by Syria’s Ministry of Defence late on Tuesday failed to hold, with intense fighting resuming in Sweida province early July 16.

Dozens of civilians, government troops, and Druze fighters have been killed since clashes erupted on July 13.