Israeli airstrikes in Syria and Lebanon have killed at least 12 people, according to regional and international sources. The strikes targeted Syrian government forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in what Israel described as an operation to secure its northern borders.

Druse militiamen have been fighting with Bedouins in the Sweida Province, and Syrian government forces and the Israeli military are getting involved.

Israel’s government said it was acting in defense of the Druze community, a minority group the Jewish state has pledged to protect.

Fire disaster leaves behind years of recovery challenges amid climate crisis, war remnants, minister says, with over 16,000 hectares burned and around 1,200 families affected

By Timour Azhari BEIRUT (Reuters) -Thousands of Syrian refugees are set to return from Lebanon this week under the first, U.N.-backed plan providing financial incentives, after Syria's new rulers said all citizens were welcome home despite deep war damage and security concerns.

Syria’s military entered a stronghold for the Druze community in the country’s south on Tuesday, the government said, reigniting fears of attacks against minorities and triggering renewed Israeli

Washington and Jerusalem have kept a watchful eye on Damascus ever since the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime by Sunni Muslim rebels in December. Of greatest concern has been the level of solidarity the new Syrian government maintains with ISIS — the terrorist organization that Syrian interim president

Recent Syria clashes 'worrisome,' says US envoyThe United States is \"actively involved with all constituencies in Syria\" in an effort to reach calm an.

Israeli strikes on Lebanon's Bekaa region on Tuesday killed 12 people, the region's governor Bachir Khodr told Reuters, in the deadliest airstrikes since last year's truce ended months of fighting between Israel and the armed group Hezbollah.

"This was an intimate gathering aimed at discussing regional developments and exploring how the EU could help promote cooperation,” Regev explained.