Screen grab from video posted by @Israel_katz on X A live television broadcast was interrupted when Israeli airstrikes hit a Syrian state TV building in central Damascus late Wednesday. In a video that went viral, a news anchor was running off the screen as explosions struck the building.The video posted by Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz on X, shortly after the attack said, “The painful blows have begun.”Israel confirmed it had launched a direct strike on the Syrian regime’s military headquarters in Damascus, blowing open the entrance gate of the defense compound. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strike was in response to the Syrian regime’s actions against Druze civilians in southern Syria, particularly in Suweida, where local clashes have intensified following the collapse of a ceasefire.The IDF said it is carrying out ongoing strikes near the Syrian Defense Ministry as part of efforts to disrupt regime convoys and prevent threats near Israel’s northern border. The military confirmed the operation is continuing “in accordance with directives from the political echelon” and that it remains on high alert as tensions along the border escalate.In another post on X, Katz addressed the Druze community in Israel, stating that the IDF would protect them. “The warnings in Damascus have ended – now painful blows will come,” he wrote. “Our Druze brothers in Israel, you can rely on the Israel Defense Forces to protect your brothers in Syria. Prime Minister Netanyahu and I, as Minister of Defense, have made a commitment – and we will uphold it,” added Katz.