Israel has repeatedly bombed Damascus, saying it is defending the Druze minority.
Israeli warplanes have struck Damascus – part of a wave of cross-border strikes that have put the region on edge.
Israel says the attacks are to protect the Druze minority in the southern city of Suwayda.
But Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa warns Israel is trying to sow conflict and division between the Syrian people – for its own benefit.
As part of a ceasefire agreed with Druze religious leaders, he’s ordered the withdrawal of government forces from Suwayda and promised to safeguard the Druze community.
But how will Israel’s intervention shape Syria’s future?
Presenter: Adrian Finighan
Guests:
Akiva Eldar – Author of Lords of the Land: The War for Israel’s Settlements in the Occupied Territories, 1967-2007
Gamal Mansour – Lecturer and political scientist at Toronto University
Stephen Zunes – Professor of politics at the University of San Francisco