Israel confirms strike on Syrian air base
Israel confirmed late Tuesday that it was behind overnight airstrikes against a Syrian military airport, where it claimed Turkey was planning to deploy forces. The strike targeted the Abu al-Duhur air base near Aleppo, according to Syria's state-run Ekhbariya television, which cited a military source reporting eight airstrikes on the runway and storage facilities. No casualties were reported.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement that "Israel and Syria agreed to a status quo in security matters, which Syria was on the verge of breaching by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo." The office added that Israel had "repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would pose a threat to Israel's security," but that "Syria chose to ignore these warnings." Netanyahu himself said on Wednesday: "Our message was very clear. Don't. I guess they didn't quite understand the message."
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Thursday that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was "dragging Turkey into dangerous adventures in Syria," and wrote on X: "Israel will not allow any entity to threaten its security."
Syria and Turkey deny deployment plans
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, speaking to the US outlet Axios, said there was no intention to establish a Turkish base at Abu al-Duhur, nor to deploy Turkish forces there. He acknowledged that Turkish military officers had visited the site in the days before the strike, but stressed it was for "ongoing military cooperation in the areas of training and exchange of expertise." Al-Shaibani described the base as largely empty and not yet operational, being restored for use by the Syrian Air Force.
Al-Shaibani said Israel had no legitimate justification for the attack, and that he had made the absence of deployment plans clear to Israel before the strike. He said Syria remained open to negotiations with Israel on de-escalation, but that any future deal must address the security concerns of both countries, reiterating that Israeli military operations would increase regional instability.
Turkey's Defense Ministry denied having any military presence at the air base and vowed to continue supporting Syria's efforts to develop its own infrastructure and military capability. The ministry called the strikes "unacceptable," "reckless," and threatening to regional peace and stability. Ankara also decried what a Turkish government statement, quoted by the Anadolu state news agency, called "the frivolous allegations put forward by the Israeli Prime Minister's Office," saying they "aim to legitimize Israel's unlawful airstrikes targeting Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity." An unnamed Turkish official told Axios: "There was no Turkish presence at the airbase. Israel is inventing pretexts to bomb neighboring countries and destabilize the region."
Regional reactions and analysis
Pakistan's Foreign Office strongly condemned the attack as "unprovoked," saying such acts were a "flagrant violation of international law" with the potential to "further undermine regional peace and stability." Pakistan expressed solidarity with Syria and called on the international community to hold Israeli forces accountable for their "destabilising actions."
US envoy for Syria Tom Barrack, who is also ambassador to Turkey, confirmed Israel carried out the strikes and called them "unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability." Writing on X, Barrack said: "We encourage all parties to prioritise logical discourse over further military incidents." Barrack also said the US is working on a deconfliction mechanism among Israel, Turkey, and Syria, and noted that Turkey was not notified of the strikes, which could lead to miscommunication.
Analysts point to broader regional dynamics. Turkey and Israel have seen tensions rise over Israel's war in Gaza and Lebanon and Ankara's support for Hamas, evolving into a wider rivalry. Turkey expert Gallia Lindenstrauss of Israel's Institute for National Security Studies said: "Israel is uneasy about the Turkish presence in Syria, and Turkish ambitions to play a major role in Syria's future are unsettling from an Israeli perspective," adding that there is concern Turkey will establish its own bases in Syria.
Earlier this month, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan signed a landmark military accord in Mecca, known as the Mecca Accord, pledging mutual defense if any member is attacked, akin to NATO's Article 5. Turkish international relations expert Soli Ozel said the impetus for the agreement is uncertainty around Washington's willingness or ability to protect its regional allies amid tensions with Iran. Asli Aydintasbas of Brookings argued that Turkey and Pakistan will not be drawn into conflict with Iran despite the pact, and analysts see Iran and Israel as the principal focus of the accord. Ozel added that the Mecca Accord will not replace the US as the ultimate security provider but is about burden sharing.
Turkey has been a key ally of Syria's new authorities, and the strike came amid worsening security tensions between Israel and Turkey over Syria, where both countries' militaries are active. Turkey and Israel established a line of communication last year to avoid incidents in Syria.
The base at Abu al-Duhur has been out of service since 2013 and changed hands during the civil war. Israel has previously struck Syrian forces since Assad was ousted, targeting sites it links to Iranian influence and Hezbollah.