Khalidi and Maya Gebeily DAMASCUS/BEIRUT (Reuters) -Syria's government misread how Israel would respond to its troops deploying to the country's south this week, encouraged by U.S. messaging that Syria should be governed as a centralized state,

Israeli officials react to the ongoing violence in Syria's Sweida between regime forces and the local Druze community. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Israeli Druze citizens not to cross the border amid ongoing clashes in Sweida in southern Syria on Wednesday afternoon.

Just hours after Israeli Defense Minister’s threats, the IDF launched drone strikes on Damascus, targeting Syria’s Defense Ministry. Prime Minister Netanyahu released a video urging the Druze community not to cross borders,

Only last week, optimism was swirling over the prospects of a truce agreement between Israel and Syria.US President Donald Trump had formally dismantled American sanctions against Syria at the end of June,

For weeks, Israel has engaged in back-channel talks over a diplomatic agreement with the Syrian government. Its strikes on Damascus this week highlight a lack of strategic clarity.

In a stunning shift, Druze communities in Syria’s Sweida region have been seen cheering and saluting Israeli forces entering their areas. The IDF says its operation aims to protect the Druze people from escalating violence by Syrian government troops under Al-Sharaa.