Strikes and supplies: Israel sends aid to Syria while bombarding

Shafaq News/ Israel conducted a rare humanitarian airlift into Syria’s Suwayda province on Saturday, coinciding with a wave of intense airstrikes targeting Syrian military positions.

An Israeli Air Force helicopter reportedly landed in Suwayda to deliver aid to the embattled Druze community. The mission, approved by senior political leadership, was framed as a response to “humanitarian challenges,” Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported.

Earlier, the Israeli army affirmed that 12 fighter jets had carried out “coordinated overnight raids across Syria, striking what it called military infrastructure, air defense systems, and surface-to-air missile sites,” adding that the operations would continue “to eliminate threats in the region.”

Israel also struck an area near the presidential palace in Damascus. The Israeli army described the attack as a “warning message” to the Syrian leadership.

The recent Israeli airstrikes in Syria followed escalating sectarian clashes in southern regions, particularly in Suwayda, where confrontations between pro-government forces and Druze fighters resulted in nearly 100 fatalities over four days. Israel cited the need to “protect the Druze” minority and “deter hostile movements” near its border as justification for the strikes.