Israel says it attacked Syrian government facilities after alleging attacks on the Druze population

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference in Jerusalem, on Thursday, March 19, 2026. Ronen Zvulun, Pool Photo via AP The Israeli Army announced this Friday (20) that it bombed Syrian government facilities overnight in response to attacks on Druze civilians in southern Syria. This was the first time that Israel attacked Syria since the start of the Middle East war. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp According to the Israeli Army, a command center and military complexes in southern Syria were targeted by the airstrike. The attack would be in retaliation for alleged attacks by the government of Ahmed Al-Shaara on the Druze population. “The IDF will not tolerate harm to the Druze population in Syria and will continue to act to defend it,” the Israeli army said in a statement. This is the first time that Israel has bombed Syria since the beginning of the war in the Middle East, a conflict that has been expanding beyond the initial US-Israel-Iran axis. Another axis in evidence in recent days, for example, is Israel against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran counterattacks and intensifies attacks on energy installations in the Persian Gulf Israeli attacks on Syria, however, have occurred other times over the past few months, also using the Druze, who are an ethnic minority protected by Israel, as a pretext. The Syrian state agency Sana had not acknowledged the Israeli attack until the last update of this report. Israel has a significant Druze population and has previously intervened in defense of this group in Syria, carrying out dozens of airstrikes against convoys of government forces and even striking the Syrian Ministry of Defense in Damascus. The Druze are an Arab religious group that belongs to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic, monotheistic and syncretic religion. They live mainly in Lebanon, Israel, Syria, Turkey and Jordan. General update on the conflict See the videos that are trending on g1 In Kuwait, an oil refinery was attacked by Iranian drones in the early hours of Friday, causing a fire. The Mina Al-Ahmadi facility, capable of processing around 730,000 barrels per day, had already been hit the day before. Iran stepped up attacks on energy facilities in the Gulf after Israel bombed the South Pars gas field — the largest in the world — in the Persian Gulf. Explosions were also reported in Dubai as air defenses intercepted projectiles. In Bahrain, shrapnel caused a fire in a warehouse, and Saudi Arabia said it had shot down several drones. Risk of global energy crisis Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz — through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes — has raised fears of a global energy crisis. Brent oil reached over US$119 per barrel and continued to rise, reflecting the escalation of the conflict that began on February 28. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would suspend further attacks on the Iranian gas field at the request of US President Donald Trump. Attacks and victims Sirens sounded again in Jerusalem and northern Israel, while explosions were heard in Tehran during the Nowruz holiday. So far: More than 1,300 people have died in Iran About 1 million people have been displaced in Lebanon 15 killed in Israel by Iranian attacks 13 US military personnel killed Actions in the United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates announced that it had dismantled an alleged “terrorist” network linked to Hezbollah and Iran. Five men were arrested on charges of money laundering and acting under false commercial cover to threaten the country’s financial stability.

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