Israel Strikes Syria in Retaliation for Firing of Projectiles

Damascus Reports Heavy Losses; Israel Holds Syria's Interim President Responsible

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CAIRO - Israel has carried out its first air strikes in Syria in nearly a month, saying it hit weapons belonging to the government in retaliation for the firing of two projectiles on June 3 towards Israel and holding interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa responsible.

Damascus said Israeli strikes caused "heavy human and material losses", reiterating that Syria does not pose a threat to any regional party and stressing the need to end the presence of armed groups and establish state control in the south.

Israel had not struck Syria since early May - a month marked by US President Donald Trump's meeting with Mr Sharaa, the lifting of US sanctions, and direct Syrian-Israeli contacts to calm tensions, as reported by Reuters last week.

Describing its new rulers as jihadists, Israel has bombed Syria frequently in 2025.

Israel has also moved troops into areas of the south-west, where it has said it will not allow the new government's security forces to deploy.

The projectiles Israel reported fired from Syria were the first since long-time Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad was toppled.