Thousands of people poured into the streets of Damascus, Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and several other Syrian cities on Wednesday to denounce a new round of Israeli airstrikes that hit the capital and its outskirts earlier in the day. Crowds waved Syrian flags, voiced support for the government and chanted slogans including, “The people want a declaration of jihad.” Mosque loudspeakers urged able-bodied residents to assemble at nearby gathering points as demonstrators demanded resistance to what they called foreign aggression. Syria’s state news agency SANA, citing the Health Ministry, said Israeli fighter jets struck areas near the presidential palace and the General Staff headquarters in Damascus, killing three civilians and wounding at least 34 more. The Foreign Ministry labelled the strikes a “flagrant violation” of international law and appealed to the United Nations Security Council for action. Israel has carried out hundreds of sorties against targets inside Syria in recent years, saying they aim to curb Iranian-backed forces. Israeli officials have not commented publicly on Wednesday’s attacks. Protesters vowed continued mobilisations unless the raids cease and foreign involvement in Syria ends.