Israel Strike Kills Seven Syrian Civilians, Damascus Reports

The Syrian government reported seven civilians killed in an Israeli air strike in Damascus on Tuesday. The strike targeted a building used by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and Lebanon’s Hezbollah in the Mazzeh neighborhood of the capital. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that nine people were killed, including five civilians and a child. The Syrian foreign ministry condemned the strike, calling it a brutal crime against defenseless civilians. An electrician living in the building that was hit described the strike as “Judgment Day.” Syrian state television reported extensive damage with the first three floors of the building destroyed. Last week, an Israeli strike in Mazzeh killed four people, including the son-in-law of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Israel has stated it will not allow Iran to expand its presence in Syria. More than 400,000 people have crossed into Syria in the past two weeks, fleeing Israeli air strikes on Lebanon.