STORY: An Al Jazeera reporter could be seen shielding himself on Wednesday (July 16) while on air, as a large explosion hit a building behind him.

He could be heard saying the building was the Syrian military headquarters.

Israel launched powerful airstrikes in Damascus on Wednesday, damaging the defence ministry and hitting near the presidential palace as it vowed to destroy Syrian government forces attacking Druze communities in southern Syria and demanded they withdraw.

The attacks marked a significant Israeli escalation against the Islamist-led administration of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and came despite his warming ties with the United States and his administration's evolving security contacts with Israel.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: MOMENT OF VARIOUS EXPLOSIONS IN BACKGROUND AS L JAZEERA REPORTER ON AIR IN DAMASCUS, SYRIA

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: REFILING TO ADD TRANSLATION OF WHAT THE REPORTER SAYS ON AIR AS THE STRIKES HAPPEN

SHOWS: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (JULY 16, 2025) (AL JAZEERA - Must not obscure logo)

1. MOMENT OF EXPLOSIONS IN BACKGROUND WHILE REPORTER IS ON AIR / LARGE PLUMES OF SMOKE RISING FROM BUILDINGS / REPORTER SAYING: (Arabic) “Guys, guys we have a strike take us on air, guys a strike…quickly! Quickly guys! Guys take us live! The strike on the (army) general staff.”

2. SPLIT SCREEN SHOWING AREAS OF DAMASCUS / PRESENTER IN STUDIO SPEAKING / REPORTER SAYING: (Arabic) "Guys, guys, a new strike! The building of the (army) general staff. A new strike guys, take us (on air) quickly! Quickly! Quickly! Quickly! I mean a strike...they destroyed it. Yes, (AS THE PRESENTER SPEAKS OVER) a strike on the (army) general staff with two hits. Yes, yes, yes. A strike with two hits targeted the (army) general staff twice. From the right and from the left we saw pieces of the building flying, it seems that the building had sustained very heavy damage, the picture is clear to you, there were ambulances there, they were trying to reach the (army) general staff building to check for victims from the first strikes, but the Israeli warplanes returned, warplanes returned and bombed the building again from two sides, from the right and the left, and now the smoke is actually starting to appear, we see that destruction has befallen this building from both sides that were bombed, we do not really know if anyone remained inside this building after the first bombing operation because that operation apparently was also lighter than the first strike, we do not know until now if there are any victims or damage inside this building or if anyone was in it, but we had seen cars leaving the building." / EXPLOSIONS