DAMASCUS/JERUSALEM -- Israeli warplanes intensified their air campaign across southern Syria on Wednesday, striking the Syrian Army General Command headquarters and the presidential palace area in central Damascus.
The Syrian health authorities said one civilian was killed, and 18 others injured in the strikes on the capital, which included at least five separate air raids targeting central Damascus. Footage aired on local TV showed smoke billowing from Umayyad Square, where the army's main command building is located. (Israel-Syria-Airstrikes)
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DAMASCUS -- A fragile ceasefire entered into effect Wednesday night in Syria's southern province of Sweida, as Syrian interim government troops began withdrawing from the city following days of deadly clashes between government forces, Druze fighters, and Bedouin tribes, according to the state-run media outlets.
The ceasefire was reached between Syria's interim government and Druze spiritual leaders after four days of intense fighting that killed at least 248 people, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
A statement from Syria's interior authorities said the agreement includes a complete cessation of hostilities, the return of army units to their barracks, and the full reintegration of Sweida into state control. (Syria-Sweida-Ceasefire)
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SANAA -- Yemen's Houthi armed group said on Wednesday night that they targeted Israel's Ben Gurion Airport with a ballistic missile and two drones in a new attack carried out earlier in the day.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said the attack forced the air traffic of the Israeli airport to halt temporarily and led thousands of Israelis to run to shelters. "The attack achieved its goal," Sarea said in a televised statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah satellite TV channel.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Defense Forces reported on social media the interception of a Houthi projectile earlier tonight. No damage or casualties were reported. (Houthis-Israel-Missile Attack)
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JERUSALEM -- A key partner in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition announced on Wednesday that it was quitting the government.
The ultra-Orthodox Shas party said it was stepping down in protest over the coalition's failure to secure a future exemption from military conscription for students of Jewish religious seminaries.
The resignation adds further pressure on Netanyahu, coming just two days after another ultra-Orthodox party, United Torah Judaism, also announced its departure from the government. It was not immediately clear whether the move would leave Netanyahu without a parliamentary majority. (Israel-Benjamin Netanyahu-Governing Coalition) ■
