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Abu al-Duhur airbase hit
Israel carried out airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airport in eastern Idlib countryside, and the Syrian News Channel said Israel conducted eight airstrikes on the base with damage limited to material aspects and no casualties.
“Israel carried out eight airstrikes on the base”
U.S. special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, who also serves as the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, said in a phone interview on Tuesday that Washington is working to establish a mechanism to avoid a clash between Israel, Turkey, and Syria.
Barrack said Ankara did not receive prior notice of the strike, “thus, the aircraft were spotted heading north toward its territory, and it could reasonably prepare to take its own response,” referring to a possible Turkish military response.
The Turkish presidency denied allegations attributed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, saying they “aim to legitimize the illegal Israeli raids targeting Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Messages to Damascus and Ankara
Analysts cited by Al Jazeera said the Tuesday strikes were “a message not just to the government in Damascus, but also to its ally, Turkiye,” with Kheder Khaddour telling the outlet, “Bombing an airbase means the Israeli army doesn’t want the new Syria to have any sort of air force in the coming years.”
Al Jazeera also reported that Israel’s message was directed at Turkiye, with Samy Akil saying, “The Israelis are not happy about the Syrians having a functioning air force,” and adding that the remaining jets posed little threat.
On the diplomatic track, Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani told Axios there were “no plans” to establish a Turkish military presence at Abu al-Duhur, saying Turkish officials had visited the site as part of training and broader military cooperation.
Netanyahu’s office said Syria was about to violate a “status quo agreed with Israel on security matters” by allowing Turkish forces to deploy at the airbase, while Barrack warned Reuters that “We were one step away from a direct military confrontation between Turkey and Israel yesterday.”
De-escalation efforts and risks
Syria rejected Israel’s narrative, with a diplomatic source at the Syrian Foreign Ministry telling Al Jazeera that Israel’s claims of an agreement with the Syrian government on a specific security reality are false and that Israel targeted Abu al-Duhur airport despite being informed there were no foreign troops there.
“worrying violation" of Syria’s territorial integrity and airspace”
The United Nations criticized the Israeli airstrikes on Syria as a “worrying violation” of Syria’s territorial integrity and airspace, with UN Secretary-General Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric saying the UN was monitoring developments in the Middle East.
Al Jazeera reported that Washington sought de-escalation, quoting Tom Barrack’s Reuters remarks that “Fortunately, calm minds managed to prevent the situation from deteriorating further,” while U.S. special envoy James Brzezinski said Ankara had not received advance notice of the strike.
In parallel, Turkish officials denied Netanyahu’s charges, with the Turkish presidency describing the allegations as “false claims aimed at justifying the illegal airstrikes targeting Syria’s sovereignty,” and reiterating cooperation with the Syrian government to establish security, stability, and prosperity in Syria.
