International Desk(National Times)- An Israeli airstrike hit next to the presidential palace in Syria’s capital, Damascus, on Wednesday, according to a Reuters witness. The strikes come as the Israeli army launched new strikes near the Syrian army and defence ministry headquarters, the state-run television channel said, after earlier attacks. Massive airstrikes damaged the defence ministry in Damascus, live footage on Al Jazeera TV showed, as Israel intensified attacks on Syria, including the capital. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned the Syrian government earlier on Wednesday to “leave Druze alone” after clashes erupted in the Druze majority Syrian city of Sweida. Meanwhile, an Israeli military official said that Israel will not let the Syrian army establish a military presence on their shared border and will protect the Druze population in southern Syria from attack. Additionally, the official said Israel was in close contact with the United States over the situation in Syria, adding that Israel was prepared for any eventuality after launching numerous airstrikes over the past 24 hours on Syrian targets. He added that the Syrian army was part of the problem, not the solution to the crisis, saying it had done nothing to protect the Druze minority.