US, EU express concern following Israeli strikes on Damascus

US President Donald Trump met with Bahrain Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at the White House to discuss economic ties and security. 

"We're very happy to be announcing $17 billion (€14.6 billion) worth of deals that are coming to the United States," Al Khalifa said. "And this is real. These aren't fake deals."

The White House said the deal entails Bahrain buying US planes, jet engines and computer equipment.  

Trump said he would speak privately on the topic of Iran's nuclear program. Sunni-governed Bahrain is a major security partner for the US in the Middle East and hosts the US Fifth Fleet.  

Trump is expected to meet with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the White House later on Wednesday. 

The talks come after Trump's first major foreign policy trip of his second term was to the Gulf states of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and United Arab Emirates in May.   

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X that "we have engaged all the parties involved in the clashes in Syria. We have agreed on specific steps that will bring this troubling and horrifying situation to an end tonight."

"This will require all parties to deliver on the commitments they have made and this is what we fully expect them to do," Rubio added.

The US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said at least 20 people died after a stampede Wednesday at an aid distribution point in the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. 

The GHF blamed Hamas for inciting chaos at the aid point. GHF spokesperson Chapin Fay told journalists that "a large number" of people in the crowd at the distribution point were armed with weapons. 

It's the first time that the GHF acknowledged deaths at one of its Gaza distribution points. There have been near daily reports of Palestinians being killed at the centers while attempting to get aid.    

Gaza's civil defense, meanwhile, blamed the deaths at the aid distribution point on gunfire from the Israeli military. 

Gaza civil defense spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told AFP news agency that "Israeli forces opened fire and used (tear) gas, causing panic and a stampede after aid center guards closed the main gates in front of the hungry crowd."    

The Israeli military has not yet commented on the incident. 

The UN has frequently condemned Gaza's humanitarian situation, saying Palestinians face a lack of food and medicine amid an Israeli blockade. Israel has claimed Hamas has been stealing aid from the Palestinians in Gaza.  

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed his condemnation of Israel's strikes on Syrian territory. 

"The Secretary-General further condemns Israel's escalatory airstrikes on Suweida, Daraa and in the center of Damascus, as well as reports of the IDF's redeployment of force in the Golan," Guterres spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, referring to the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The UN views the Golan Heights as part of Syria. 

The ultra-Orthodox Shas party has announced it would leave Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet.

Shas said it would leave the cabinet over a stalled legislative proposal to exempt religious Torah students from military service. 

Although Shas is leaving the Israeli cabinet, it is not exiting the Israeli government's parliamentary coalition, leaving Netanyahu a thin majority in the Israeli parliament, or Knesset. 

A day earlier, the religious conservative United Torah Judaism party announced it would not only leave the Israeli cabinet, but also the parliamentary coalition. 

The Syrian government and key Druze religious leader Sheikh Yousef Jarbou announced a ceasefire in the southern Syrian province of Sweida after clashes earlier reportedly left hundreds dead. 

"An agreement was reached for a ceasefire in Sweida and for the establishment of security checkpoints across the city," the Syrian-state run SANA news agency reported. The Druze-majority city of Sweida is the capital of Sweida province. 

It's unclear if the ceasefire deal will last, however, as a previous truce collapsed a day earlier. 

Another influential Druze religious leader, Hikmat al-Hijri, has rebuked the idea of a new ceasefire deal. He urged Syrian government forces to leave Sweida. Al-Hijri earlier called for foreign powers to protect the Druze community in Syria, prompting Israel's military intervention. 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told journalists he had phoned "relevant parties" amid the violence in Syria. Rubio said he was "very concerned" by the fighting. 

Rubio also said he expected imminent "deescalation" after Israel attacked the Syrian army headquarters in Damascus.

"We think we're on our way towards a real deescalation," Rubio told journalists, saying there was a "misunderstanding" between Israel and Syria. 

"In the next few hours, we hope to see some real progress," Rubio said.  

The EU said it was "concerned" by Israeli attacks on the Syrian capital. 

"Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity need to be respected," European Council President Antonio Costa posted on X. 

The Turkish Foreign Ministry labeled Israel's strikes in Damascus an "act of sabotage."

"Israel's attacks on Damascus, following its military interventions in the south of Syria, constitute an act of sabotage against Syria's efforts to secure peace, stability and security," Turkey said.    

The Israeli army struck targets in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Wednesday, as Israel claims its military intervention aims to protect the Syrian Druze minority. 

"The IDF struck the entrance of the Syrian regime's military headquarters in the area of Damascus in Syria," the Israel Defense Forces said. Two Israeli attacks were reported in the area.

It's the third day in a row that Israel launched airstrikes on Syria. 

"The warnings to Damascus have ended — now painful blows will come," Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on social media platform X.      

Clashes between Bedouin Sunni tribes and the Druze community broke out in the southern Syrian province of Suweida on Sunday. On Monday, the Syrian government deployed troops to Suweida, with Syria's military then being drawn into fighting with the Druze militias. 

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights organization said at least 300 people have been killed in southern Syria since the clashes broke out on Sunday. 

The Druze are a small ethno-religious group in the Middle East who primarily live in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. 

Amid the clashes, Druze in Israel have been attempting to enter Syria to help Druze militia groups, with members of the Syrian Druze community then attempting to go into Israel. 

The Israeli military strikes on Syria come as Israel expresses distrust towards the Islamist-influenced Syrian government of Ahmad al-Sharaa. 

Al-Sharaa's government came into power after Syrian rebels ousted Bashar Assad, whose family had maintained an iron-grip on Syria for decades. Demonstrations against the Assad regime in 2011 sparked the Syrian civil war.         

Israel's military has launched strikes in Syria amid clashes between Syrian government forces and the Druze minority. 

In addition to Syria, this blog will also cover developments in other parts of the Middle East, such as Gaza and Yemen. 

Stay with us for the latest news, analysis, multimedia content and DW on-the-ground reporting in the region.