Syria’s al-Sharaa condemns Israeli strikes on Damascus
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – In a statement delivered early Thursday, Syrian Transitional President, Ahmad al-Sharaa, strongly condemned the Israeli airstrikes that targeted the capital, Damascus, late Wednesday.
He warned that Israel sought to undermine a fragile ceasefire, which, he claimed, would have collapsed without American, Arab, and Turkish mediation.
Speaking publicly for the first time since the recent unrest in Suwayda, al-Sharaa accused Israel of attempting to turn Syria into a permanent conflict zone.
“Since the fall of the previous regime, the Israeli entity has sought to destabilize our land and fracture our people,” he said.
Referring to the government’s handling of the Suwayda crisis, he stated, “We were faced with a choice—either war with Israel or granting space for the Druze elders to reach a local accord. We chose to protect the homeland.”
The Suwayda region has seen intense clashes since Sunday between government forces and local Druze factions, resulting in more than 300 casualties, both killed and wounded.
On Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes targeted key government sites in central Damascus, including the Presidential Palace and the General Staff Command building.