Israeli airstrikes hit Damascus, including the Ministry of Defence, during live TV broadcasts, sparking widespread attention. The strikes, confirmed by Israel, targeted military sites after clashes in Sweida involving the Druze minority.

Syria TV has released footage of the moment its Damascus studio captured an Israeli strike on the Syrian Defense Ministry.

The Israeli military launched airstrikes in the heart of Damascus on Wednesday, hitting the Syrian Defense Ministry headquarters. Another strike hit near the presidential palace in the hills outside of Damascus (AP video shot by Abd al-Rahman Shaheen).

Moments after Minister of Defense Katz warned of 'painful blows' to the Syrian regime, a live news broadcast captured the moment of an airstrike behind its studio.

Israel launched attacks on the Syrian Defence Ministry following calls from the region to cease attacks that violated the country's sovereignty. US President Donald Trump's administration asked Israel again on Wednesday to halt strikes on Syria and engage in dialogue with the government in Damascus.

Israel sharply escalated its strikes on Syrian regime targets on Wednesday, hitting buildings belonging to the defense ministry, the presidential palace and over 160 other targets since last night

The fighting puts the U.S. in an awkward position, with President Donald Trump pursuing a path of normalization with the embattled Syria.

Syria's Druze have reached a ceasefire agreement with the Syrian government in Sweida that will take immediate effect, Druze religious leader Sheikh Yousef Jarbou said in a video broadcast by state media on Wednesday.