The bloody crisis in the Middle East continued to rage in southern Syria when Israel launched an airstrike on the Syrian Defense Ministry building in Damascus on Wednesday, killing at least three people and wounding dozens.
The attack entered the third consecutive day of Israel's campaign against Syrian military positions, raising fears of an all-out war between the two neighbors.
The attack began with internal fighting between the Syrian army and Druze fighters in the Suwayda region, which was later joined by Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his military intervention on the grounds of protecting the Druze community, but many Syrian Druze leaders rejected this support and considered it foreign interference.
Since last Sunday, more than 350 have been reported killed in fighting that has increasingly taken on sectarian nuances.
In a shocking statement, Syria's Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa accused Israel of instigating the tension, but also announced the withdrawal of troops from Suwayda to avoid bloodshed.
Sharaa stated that Syria now faces two choices: either launching an open war with Israel or giving space to the Druze leaders to return to sanity and put national interests above the conflict.
Meanwhile, the United States (US) is reported to have played a major role in pushing for a ceasefire, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirming that specific steps had been taken to ease the conflict, but prominent Druze figure Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri himself rejected the agreement and called on his followers to continue the struggle.
The United Nations and several countries including Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia condemned Israel's actions and urged respect for Syria's sovereignty.
The conflict in Suwayda is now a major test of Syria's stability, with hopes for peace fading.
