By Timour Azhari DAMASCUS (Reuters) -Western diplomats were passing near Syria's defence ministry in Damascus in an armoured convoy when Israel struck the building with several missiles on Wednesday,

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Syrian government troops will be blocked from the area south of the capital Damascus to protect the Druze minority following Israel's attacks in the country earlier this week.

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

Emirates has officially resumed operations to the Syrian capital, Damascus, marking the return of the “City of Jasmine” to its Middle East network.

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.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says IDF strike on Damascus ‘likely a misunderstanding’ after fighting erupted in Syria.

Syria's president accuses Israel of sowing divisions after Israeli strikes Damascus that they claims were in support of the Druze minority.