Tensions in the Middle East have reached a boiling point. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly ordered the "elimination" of Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, following an explosive statement by Israeli Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the situation as "complicated" but said it looked like a "misunderstanding".

President Ahmed al-Shara said the airstrike on Damascus threatened to escalate sectarian violence, in his sharpest criticism of Israel since he came to power.

Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Thursday that protecting Druze citizens and their rights is "our priority", as Israel vowed to destroy Syrian government forces attacking Druze in southern Syria.

An Israeli airstrike hit next to the presidential palace in Syria's capital Damascus on Wednesday, according to a Reuters witness.

DAMASCUS, Syria Two mortars exploded near one of Syrian President Bashar Assad's palaces in Damascus on Tuesday but caused only material damage, Syria's state news service said. The attack was the ...

Israel has intensified its airstrikes on Syria, including near the presidential palace and on the defence ministry headquarters in central Damascus.