European Council President António Costa expressed concern Wednesday about Israeli airstrikes on the Syrian defense ministry in Damascus.
“Very concerned by the Israeli strikes on Damascus today. Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity need to be respected. I call on all parties to refrain from violence and to de-escalate,” he wrote on X.
Earlier in the day the Israel Defense Forces had bombarded the defense ministry during a live Al Jazeera broadcast, with video showing a massive impact on government buildings. One person was killed and 18 were injured, Syrian officials said.
Israel said the attack was a response to a clash between Syrian security forces and members of the Druze minority in the southern Syrian province of Sweida. Tensions had previously flared between Druze communities and the Sunni Bedouin, with Damascus sending security forces to the region in response. Many Druze have been killed.
Amid the unrest, some Druze citizens of Israel crossed into Syria to support their Syrian counterparts, with some Syrian Druze attempting to seek refuge in Israel.
A spokesperson for the EU’s diplomatic service said in a statement: “The EU is alarmed by the continued clashes in Sweida, which have resulted in many casualties, and strongly condemns the reported violence against civilians.”
“In light of Israel’s escalating strikes on Syrian territory, we urge all external actors to fully respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the statement added.
In December, shortly after the ouster of former Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, Israel conducted hundreds of airstrikes on military targets in Syria.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday initially expressed concern, calling the conflict a “misunderstanding between the Israeli and the Syrian side.” At a press conference at the White House he said: “We are on a way to a real de-escalation.”
The crisis unfolds as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comes under domestic political pressure, with the ultra-orthodox UTJ party on Wednesday withdrawing from the coalition.
Separately, Israeli strikes have killed 94 people in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, Haaretz reported citing the territory’s health ministry.