Israel has stepped up its attack on Syria following sectarian violence against the Druze community.

Israeli troops accused Syrian authorities of failing to protect the country's Druze minority from sectarian violence and launched air strikes near the Syrian president's palace.

The attacks earlier Friday were the second such attack in Israel this week, and are seen as sending a strong message to the Syrian transitional government led by Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa.

"This is a clear message to the Syrian regime: We will not allow (Syrian) troops to deploy southern Damascus or any threat to the Druze community," Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a joint statement with Israel Katz of Israel.

More than 100 people were killed this week in a battle between Syria's pro-government forces and Druze fighters.

The violence has been condemned by Syria's Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri as a "genocide movement".

On Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar urged the international community to “fulfil its protection of Syrian minorities, especially Druze, from the regime and its terrorist groups.”

Israel had previously called Syria's transitional government a "terrorist organization from Idlib, whose Damascus was seized by force" and intensified support for the Druze minority this week.

The Druze minority is a 10th-century branch of the Shiite Islamic branch, mainly resides in Syria, Lebanon and Israel, and is an ally of Israel, with many Druzes in the Israeli army.

Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani called on Thursday for "national unity" as "a solid foundation for any stability or rejuvenation process."

He wrote on X: "Any requirement for external intervention under any excuse or slogan will only lead to further deterioration and division."

Sectarian violence posed the worst challenge to the al-Sharaa government, which led a coalition of rebel groups to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December.

Since then, Syria has faced sectarian violence.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, this week's battle was in March massacre, with more than 1,700 civilians from the Alaves community by security forces and allied groups.

Traditionally, the Alavis are located near the Mediterranean coast in western Syria and are of the same ethnic origin as the collapsed al-Assad.