Israel’s Netanyahu said the strike was a warning to the Syrian government not to deploy troops to the south and to prevent violence against the Druze minority.

Israeli warplanes carried out an airstrike near Syria’s presidential palace in Damascus on Friday, claiming they protect the Druze minority, despite the community’s firm rejection of any attempts to separate from Syria.

Syria's new rulers Friday denounced an Israeli air strike near the presidential palace as a dangerous escalation.The dawn strike came hours a