The US condemns Israeli airstrikes in Syria, the IDF says it misjudged the Syrian tribal conflict
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State Department spokesman Tammy Bruce said the US is not supporting it. Recent Israeli air bombings in Syria He then called for a “dialogue” between the two Middle Eastern powers.
“The United States is clearly denounced violence. All parties must retreat and engage in meaningful dialogue that leads to a permanent ceasefire,” Bruce announced at the State Department’s Publications briefing Thursday afternoon.
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On Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes in Syrian capital Damascus struck the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense and the area near the presidential palace, killing three people and injuring dozens of others.
Israeli forces said they are intervening to protect a small Druze population in southern Syria, a community that shares the border with Israel, amid an armed skirmish between local Bedouin Sunnis and the recently established Syrian government.
In this photo, smoke announced by Syrian official news agency SANA rises from an Israeli airstrike that hit Syrian Ministry of Defense on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. (Sana via AP Newsroom)
“We are taking critical action to prevent the establishment of hostile elements across the border, protect Israeli citizens and prevent harm to civilians,” said Eir Zamir, chief of the Israeli Defense Forces general staff, during a situation assessment at the Syrian border.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio On Wednesday afternoon, it announced that an agreement has been reached between Israel and Syria to end a “troubling and horrifying situation.”
“This requires all involved to realize the commitments they have made, and this is something we fully expect that they will do,” he added.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a meeting between unpicked Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al Khalifa and unpicked President Donald Trump’s Salman bin Hamad al Khalifa in the oval office of the White House in Washington, DC. (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“We appreciate your break from confusion and confusion as we try to navigate all parties to Syria’s more durable and peaceful solutions,” added the envoy of Syria’s Tom Barracks.
When asked on Thursday whether the US suspected the Israeli strike was involved in the Syrian conflict between the Bedouin and the Druze, Bruce said ongoing investigations would need to be conducted to get an accurate idea of why the Israeli airstrike occurred.
Rubio I said it on Wednesday He believed that Israel’s strike against Syrian capital Damascus was “probably” and “probably” because of “misunderstanding.”
On Thursday, Bruce answered a reporter’s questions about what US officials meant when they said “confusion” and “misunderstandings” from Israel led to their involvement.
Tammy Bruce, a spokesman shown on May 6, 2025, said he was “monitoring and dealing with” the State Department’s use of AI to possibly possibly as Secretary of State Marco Rubio. (Andrew Thomas/Middle Eastern Image/AFP/Getty)
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“This is an ancient rival between the Druze and the Bedouin and the violence, and Syrians who move to the area to stop and stop the violence. And the Israelis who see it arise in the Druze community and their concerns have come into the greater than anything they appreciated, or even what they didn’t.
“The good news is that the story has stopped, as it is under the control of that big conflict. Again, there are still skirmishes and other issues. …The Syrian government will clearly have other involvement — but this will lead to this detachment and stability.”
Caitlin McFall from Fox News Digital contributed to this report.