Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Thursday condemned Israel for its “broad and deliberate targeting” of civilian and government infrastructure during recent airstrikes on Damascus, which included hits on military headquarters and a site near the presidential palace.
In his first televised address since the strikes, Sharaa directly addressed the Druze community, vowing accountability for those who “abused our Druze people” and warning against any attempts to manipulate or divide them. “We reject any effort to draw you into the hands of foreign forces,” he said.
Declaring Syria unafraid of conflict, Sharaa added, “We are not among those who fear war. We have faced adversity all our lives in defense of our people. But we have always placed the interests of Syrians above chaos and destruction.”
He announced that local Druze elders and community factions would now take charge of security in their areas, signaling a shift toward localized control.
The interim president also praised international diplomacy for preventing wider regional escalation. “The Israeli entity launched a wide-scale assault on both civilian and state facilities,” Sharaa said. “This dramatically escalated the situation, which would have spiraled further had it not been for timely mediation by the United States, Arab nations, and Turkey. Their efforts helped avert an unknown and dangerous fate.”
He concluded by reaffirming Syria’s readiness to defend its dignity, stating the people “will not hesitate to fight if their sovereignty or honor is threatened.”
