Israel Strikes Syrian Air Base, Netanyahu Cites Threat from Turkish Forces
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has finally broken his silence and acknowledged that his country launched an airstrike against a military base in northwestern Syria on Tuesday. The military action immediately drew sharp criticism from the United States government, which viewed the move as an unnecessary escalation.
Netanyahu confirmed that Israel struck the Abu al-Duhur air base near Aleppo following allegations of plans to station Turkish troops at the military facility in the near future. According to him, the potential entry of the Turkish military has threatened the security arrangement that has been in place in the region.
“Israel has repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would pose a threat to Israel’s security,” Netanyahu said in a statement on platform X. “Israel will not tolerate threats to its security, and would welcome a return to the status quo.”
Netanyahu stressed that Israel and Syria, although they do not have formal diplomatic relations but were once engaged in talks under the auspices of the Donald Trump administration, have maintained what he called a “status quo on security matters.” However, the potential development of an air facility with Turkey is seen as capable of undermining the existing security order.
Relations between Netanyahu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are known to have continued to heat up through a long-running public dispute. Netanyahu has often accused Erdogan of supporting Hamas and has openly opposed the sale of US-made F-35 fighter jets to Ankara. Conversely, Turkish officials have sharply criticised Israel and called the country “a burden that humanity can no longer bear.”
Before Netanyahu’s official acknowledgement emerged, US special envoy Tom Barrack had expressed deep concern over reports of the airstrike that hit the Abu al-Duhur military airport.
“We are deeply concerned that the confirmed Israeli airstrike on Abu al-Duhur air base is an unnecessary escalation and does not promote regional stability,” Barrack said.
Barrack added that Washington continues to urge all parties involved to prioritise “logical discussions” rather than continuing military incidents that risk widening the regional conflict.