In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency, SANA, smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike that hit the Syrian Defence Ministry in Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, July 16, 2025. (SANA via AP Newsroom)
"We are acting decisively to prevent the entrenchment of hostile elements beyond the border, protect Israeli citizens and prevent harm to Druze civilians," Eyal Zamir, chief of the Israeli Defense Forces' general staff, said during a situational assessment at the Syrian border.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday afternoon that an agreement had been reached between Israel and Syria to end the "troubling and horrifying situation."
"This will require all parties to deliver on the commitments they have made, and this is what we fully expect them to do," he added.
TRUMP’S PUSH FOR ISRAEL-SYRIA PEACE GETS MAJOR BACKING AS ACTIVIST BRINGS MESSAGE TO JERUSALEM
Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, shown here May 6, 2025, said the State Department is "currently monitoring and addressing" an incident in which someone used AI to try to pose as Secretary of State Marco Rubio. (Andrew Thomas/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty)
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"This is an ancient rivalry between the Druze and the Bedouins and violence ensued, the Syrians moving to that area to quell and stop that violence. And the Israelis, who see that occurring to the Druze community and their concerns, then entered what they assessed was something larger than what, or even not what it was at all," Bruce said at Thursday's briefing.
"The good news is, the story is, it stopped, as within the management of that larger conflict. Again, there's still skirmishes and other issues. … The Syrian government is going to have to lead — obviously, there will be other involvement — but lead in to this de-escalation and to the stability."
Fox News Digital's Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/state-department-said-us-unequivocally-condemns-israeli-airstrike-syria-calls-dialogue