From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Katz says Damascus strike was a signal, ‘painful blows’ will follow unless regime forces withdraw from Druze city
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Defense Minister Israel Katz says “painful blows” will be dealt to the Syrian government, while vowing to protect members of the Druze community in Syria.
“The signaling in Damascus is over, now come the painful blows,” Katz says in a statement after the IDF carried out a strike on the Syrian Defense Ministry headquarters.
He says the “IDF will continue to operate forcefully in Sweida to destroy the forces that attacked the Druze until their full withdrawal.”
“Our Druze brothers in Israel: You can count on the Israel Defense Forces to protect your brothers in Syria. Prime Minister Netanyahu and I, as defense minister, have made a commitment, and we will uphold it,” Katz adds.
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