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Abu al-Duhur Strikes
One man was wounded Saturday in southwestern Syria in an Israeli drone strike on a truck, Syrian media reported, days after multiple strikes on Syria's Abu al-Duhur airbase.
“One man was wounded Saturday in southwestern Syria in an Israeli drone strike on a truck”
In northwest Idlib province, eight strikes on the Abu Al-Duhur airbase on Tuesday were characterized by Benjamin Netanyahu as a warning to Turkey against expanding its military presence in Syria or helping rebuild the Syrian armed forces.
Netanyahu’s office said Israel and Syria had agreed to “a status quo in security matters”, which Damascus was “on the verge of breaching” by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at the airbase near Aleppo.
The following day, Netanyahu told Israeli Army Radio that the strikes were a “message” that he would not tolerate a Turkish military entrenchment in Syria that “advances southward, because it threatens us.”
Turkey Denies, Washington Concerns
Turkey denied any presence of its forces at the Abu Al-Duhur Military Airport in Idlib Governorate, affirming that it "will not fall into" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trap aimed at undermining stability in the region.
Berhanuddin Duran, the Turkish Presidency’s Director of Communications, said, "We have enough experience not to fall into the trap of figures like Netanyahu; their goal is to undermine peace and stability in our region."
The Turkish Defense Ministry official told reporters there was "no Turkish military delegation at Abu al-Duhur airport before or during the attack carried out by Israel," according to AFP, while Turkish officials said attacks aimed to destabilize and threaten Syria's security and unity.
The Al-Mashhad al-Yamani account also says Washington expressed “deep concern” at Israel’s “unnecessary escalation,” and it describes U.S. special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack blaming Israel for the attack and calling it an “unnecessary escalation” that could hinder stabilization efforts.
Escalation Risks and Next Moves
The Palestinian Authority and several Arab and Islamic countries condemned the Israeli strikes on Abu al-Douhour military airbase in northwestern Syria, deeming them a dangerous escalation and a violation of Syrian sovereignty.
“deeming them a dangerous escalation and a violation of Syrian sovereignty”
U.S. envoy to Syria and Turkey Tom Barrack warned that such attacks could increase Turkish presence in the region, noting that Ankara did not receive any prior warning about the operation.
Haaretz reported that Syria and Turkey are seeking to avoid a broader conflict with Israel even as the latest Israeli strikes increased pressure on both countries.
In parallel, Turkey requested the issuance of an Interpol red notice against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for genocide, according to Turkey’s Justice Minister Akin Gurlek, after receiving an arrest warrant issued on July 14 by an Istanbul court.