Smoke rose near the Syrian presidential palace in Damascus following Israeli airstrikes on Syrian capital Wednesday, footage obtained by China Global Television Network (CGTN) shows. The Israeli strikes damaged a compound housing the defense ministry and hit an area near the presidential palace, resulting in multiple deaths, according to media reports. Wednesday's strikes came after the collapse of a ceasefire between Syrian government forces and armed Druze groups in Sweida, the heartland of the Druze community in Syria. The war monitor said at least 302 people have been killed in the area since Sunday. The Druze are a religious and ethnic minority originating from Islam, living primarily in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel, with smaller communities in Jordan and elsewhere. Israel carried out several waves of strikes in Damascus and Sweida, with the stated aim of preventing the Druze minority from being harmed. Shotlist: Damascus, Syria - July 16, 2025 1. Various of smoke rising near Syrian presidential palace after Israeli strikes. [Restriction - No Access Chinese Mainland/Orient TV/Syria Alshaab TV/Zanoubia TV/Alhurra TV/ANN TV/Al Jazeera/ Al-Arabiya TV]