Israel Confirms Strikes on Syrian Air Base, Citing Alleged Turkish Military Presence

Israel has confirmed carrying out airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, despite acknowledging that the authorities in Damascus had not posed a direct threat to Israel. Syrian media reported that the facility was hit in eight attacks on Tuesday. Israeli officials reportedly told Washington that the strikes were intended to prevent an alleged Turkish military buildup at the base.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office claimed that a potential Turkish deployment would violate an understanding between Israel and Syria to maintain the “status quo in security matters.” Turkey rejected the justification, calling the allegations “frivolous” and describing the strikes as unlawful attacks on Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. A Turkish official also denied that Ankara was preparing to establish a military presence at the base, saying there were no Turkish forces stationed there.

US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said Damascus had not adopted an aggressive posture toward Israel and had repeatedly expressed a preference for de-escalation. He said Washington was working to establish a deconfliction mechanism involving Israel, Turkey and Syria to prevent similar incidents. The latest strikes have nevertheless raised fresh concerns over regional instability and the growing involvement of multiple foreign powers in Syria.