Syria rejects calls for "international protection" and denounces attempts to internationalize the internal situation.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the X platform: "The Syrian Arab Republic affirms its absolute rejection of all forms of foreign interference in its internal affairs."

She denounced recent calls by "outlaw groups involved in acts of violence on Syrian soil" for so-called international protection.

The statement described these calls as "illegitimate" and declared their complete rejection, emphasizing that these appeals "come from parties operating outside the framework of Syrian law, in a clear attempt to internationalize a situation that should be addressed exclusively within Syrian state institutions."

She warned that these actions represent a direct threat to the country's unity and undermine national efforts to restore security and stability throughout the country .

On Tuesday night, the Sahnaya area of ​​Rif Dimashq province, home to a Druze population, witnessed clashes between Syrian security forces and "outlaw groups" over an audio recording attributed to a Druze man insulting the Prophet Muhammad. The clashes resulted in the deaths of five people.

Claiming to be defending Druze rights in Syria, Israel launched airstrikes on Wednesday on the Ashrafieh Sahnaya area, according to the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

Warnings have been escalating for months from both inside and outside Syria regarding Israel's attempts to exploit the Druze to further its violations of Syrian sovereignty, while Damascus maintains that all sects in the country enjoy equal rights without discrimination.

Since 1967, Israel has occupied most of the Syrian Golan Heights. It exploited the new situation in the country following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime, occupying the Syrian buffer zone and declaring the collapse of the 1974 disengagement agreement between the two sides.

It also occupied the strategic Mount Hermon, which is only 35 km from the capital, Damascus. It lies between Syria and Lebanon, overlooks Israel, and can also be seen from Jordan. It has four peaks, the highest of which is 2,814 meters high.

Although the new Syrian administration, headed by Ahmad al-Sharaa, has not threatened Israel in any way, Tel Aviv has been launching almost daily airstrikes on Syria for months, killing civilians and destroying Syrian military sites, vehicles, and ammunition.

On December 8, 2024, Syrian factions completed their control of the country, ending 61 years of Baath Party rule and 53 years of Assad family control, including 24 years during which Bashar al-Assad held the presidency (2000-2024).