The United States said on Thursday it did not support recent Israeli strikes on Syria and had made clear its displeasure, while Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa accused Israel of trying to fracture his country and promised to protect its Druze minority.

Israel strikes Damascus, ICE gets Medicaid access, and global flashpoints heat up from Syria to Taiwan. Catch up on today’s top moves.

Clashes that shook southern Syria this week have killed hundreds of people, including civilians, and drawn in an array of both local and international players, harking back to the dynamics of the country's nearly 14-year civil war.

A large U.S. military convoy of ~100 trucks has departed two bases in Hasakah, Syria, for Iraq as part of an ongoing troop drawdown in the region.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Syrian government troops will be blocked from the area south of the capital Damascus to protect the Druze minority following Israel's attacks in the country earlier this week.

Syria says it is withdrawing troops from a flashpoint southern city after days of deadly clashes with an Arab minority group that triggered military action from Israel.

A pair of US military bases in Syria were attacked by drones this week, raising concerns that Iran-backed proxies are using the Israel-Hamas war to strike at American forces.