Israel attacks target near Syrian presidential palace

Israel attacked a target near the presidential palace in the Syrian capital Damascus, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early on Friday, reiterating his vow to protect members of the Druze community, reports reuters.

It marks the second time Israel has struck Syria in as many days, following through on a promise to defend the minority group, which was involved in sectarian violence against Sunni gunmen earlier this week.

The Druze adhere to a faith that is an offshoot of Islam and have followers in Syria, Lebanon and Israel.

The strikes reflect Israel's deep mistrust of the Sunni Islamists who toppled Bashar al-Assad in December, posing a further challenge to interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's efforts to establish control over the fractured nation.

"Israel struck last night near the presidential palace in Damascus," Netanyahu said in a joint statement with Defense Minister Israel Katz.

"This is a clear message to the Syrian regime: We will not allow (Syrian) forces to deploy south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community."

The Israeli military said in a statement it struck "adjacent to the area of the Palace of Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa in Damascus", without specifying the target. There was no immediate comment from Syria's authorities.

Since Assad was ousted in December, Israel has seized ground in the southwest, vowed to protect the Druze, lobbied Washington to keep the neighbouring state weak, and has blown up much of the Syrian army's heavy weapons in the days after he was toppled._Agencies.