Israeli fighter jets struck near the presidential palace in Damascus, the Syrian capital, early on Friday, in what Israel’s leaders said was a message to President Ahmed al-Sharaa that they are willing to attack deep inside his country after a recent wave of sectarian violence.

In recent days, more than 100 people have died in clashes involving multiple parties — Sunni extremists not fully under the government’s control, forces of the new government and militiamen from the country’s Druze minority.

The Druze practice a secretive religion with its roots in Islam, and some of those living in Syria have ties tothe Druze community in Israel.

Defence minister Israel Katz called the strikes “a clear warning” and said that when al-Sharaa “wakes up and sees the results of the strike of Israeli Air Force jets, he will understand well that Israel is determined to prevent any harm to the Druze in Syria”.

The strike on Friday was the second time since the violence erupted this week that Israel had intervened militarily inside Syria on behalf of the Druze.