Israel’s military launched an airstrike on Thursday, aiming at a residential structure on the fringes of Damascus, Syria, which it identified as a command center of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group.
This move is part of Israel’s strategy to counteract threats it perceives from Palestinian militant groups operating within Syrian territory.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, reported that the structure is situated in Dummar, a suburb northwest of Damascus, and noted that one individual was killed in the airstrike.
Defense Minister Israel Katz emphasized in a statement that any terrorist actions against Israel could prompt a swift military response meant to impair the militants’ capabilities in Syria.
Meanwhile, United Nations-endorsed experts have leveled accusations against Israel for allegedly employing sexual and gender-based violence in its military operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Israel’s U.N. mission in Geneva has vehemently denied such claims, accusing the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory of using unverifiable sources in their reporting.
Israel maintains that the commission has exhibited bias against it and has refused cooperation due to these perceived prejudices.
A Palestinian Islamic Jihad member, present at the site of the Syrian airstrike, reported that the targeted apartment belonged to leader Ziad Nakhaleh.
Ismail Sindak noted that the apartment had been vacant for years since Nakhaleh is not currently residing in Syria and is likely spending time between Lebanon, Iran, and Syria.
The Israeli military clarified that the operation was based on intelligence and targeted a command post used by Palestinian Islamic Jihad to orchestrate attacks on Israel.
Syria’s state news agency confirmed the strike on the residential building, while Israel’s military reaffirmed its intent to robustly counter Palestinian militant operations in Syria.
In a bid to improve relations with Syria’s Druze population amidst ongoing regional tensions, Israel also dispatched over 10,000 food aid packages to Druze communities in recent weeks.
This outreach aimed to strengthen ties with the minority community during Syria’s post-civil war transition, albeit facing skepticism and rejection from some Druze who suspect ulterior motives of division.
In parallel, the United Nations investigators cited Israel for alleged systematic sexual violence during its campaign against Gaza militant factions. The accusations were part of a broader inquiry into the conduct of military operations that resulted in significant damage and numerous casualties in Gaza.
The report criticized the effect on women and children, highlighting the claimed excessive use of force in civilian territories.
Israel has contested these findings, attributing the blame for civilian casualties to Hamas’ tactics of operating within densely populated areas.
The commission’s investigation, led by ex-U.N. human rights head Navi Pillay, examines Israeli actions that could potentially fuel war crime indictments.
Israel refutes any systematic maltreatment of detainees, pledging accountability for any proven violations, while it remains opposed to cooperating with the commission, citing enduring biases.
The backdrop of heightened tensions traces back to a significant offensive launched by Hamas on Southern Israel in October 2023, resulting in substantial loss of life and the capture of hostages.
The ensuing Israeli military response achieved a high mortality rate among Palestinians, predominantly impacting women and children, according to reports from Gaza’s Health Ministry.
