Israel hit Damascus with powerful airstrikes on Wednesday, ostensibly to “protect” Syria’s Druze minority which has borne the brunt of ongoing sectarian clashes in the country.

STORY: Violence in southern Syria has put a spotlight on a small but influential minority, the Druze.:: Who are the Druze?The Druze are Arabs who follow a religion derived from a branch of Islam.They maintain a degree of secrecy about the practice of their faith that emerged in the 11th century.

Significant progress in Gaza ceasefire negotiations i24NEWS journalist Amichai Stein reported on Thursday a major breakthrough in talks between Israel and Hamas, hailed by mediators as a "breakthrough" thanks to a new Israeli deployment map.

Scores of people have been killed in Syria's southern governorate of Suwayda after clashes began between local Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze armed factions. A ceasefire agreement was announced Wednesday after neighbouring Israel launched strikes on Syrian military forces,

Israeli leaders said they launched attacks on Syria this week to protect members of the Druze religious group in the country’s south, amid clashes in the area.

P LUMES OF SMOKE rose over Damascus on July 16th as Israeli warplanes struck Syria’s capital. Targeting the presidential palace, the defence ministry and the army command, the attack killed at least one person and wounded several others.

After government loyalists and Druze militia clashed in the southern city of Suweida, Syrian government forces intervened.

PM says strikes in line with demilitarization policy, pledge to protect Druze; Damascus says truce reached with factions controlling Sweida, where sectarian violence has killed scores

Here is everything you need to know about Sweida in Syria, who is fighting, and why Israel is now involved. The city of Sweida in southern Syria has been featured in headlines worldwide as clashes have erupted between Druze and Bedouin forces in the area.

Israel has struck military tanks in southern Syria, where government forces and Bedouin tribes clash with Druze militias

Sectarian clashes that shook southern Syria this week have killed hundreds of people, including civilians, and drawn in an array of local and international players. Here's a look at the main parties involved.

Hundreds of Druze from Israel pushed across the border in solidarity with their Syrian cousins they feared were under attack. Many then met relatives they had never seen before.