Overview

• Israeli fighter jets struck near the Syrian presidential palace in Damascus on May 2, following accusations of a genocidal campaign against the Druze minority by interim Syrian authorities.
• Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri, the Druze spiritual leader, denounced the violence as a 'genocidal campaign' and urged immediate international intervention to protect his community.
• The clashes, which began on April 28 in Jaramana after a disputed blasphemous audio message, spread to Sahnaya and Suweïda, resulting in over 100 deaths, including civilians, Druze fighters, and security personnel.
• The Syrian interim government reaffirmed its commitment to protecting all communities but rejected foreign interference, while calm has been restored in affected areas under security deployments.
• The U.S., U.N., and France condemned the violence as unacceptable, while Israel escalated its military actions, framing the strikes as a warning to protect the Druze minority.