ALBAWABA- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel would not tolerate a Turkish military presence in Syria that it considers a threat to its security, following Israeli airstrikes on a Syrian military airbase and a sharp deterioration in relations between Israel and Türkiye over Ankara’s growing role in post-Assad Syria.
“We made it clear that we will not tolerate a Turkish military presence in Syria,” Netanyahu said, adding that Israel had acted to ensure its message was understood. He said Israel would not accept a Turkish deployment in Syria that could threaten Israeli security.
The remarks followed Israeli airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in Syria’s Idlib province on Tuesday. Israeli aircraft carried out eight strikes on the base, damaging runways and storage areas but causing no reported casualties. The attack came shortly after a Turkish delegation had visited the facility. Israel said the strikes were intended to prevent a potential Turkish military deployment at the base, which Israeli officials said would alter the security balance in Syria.
The Israeli government said Syria had been close to violating a security status quo arrangement with Israel by allowing Turkish forces to deploy at the airbase. Netanyahu’s office said Israel had repeatedly warned Damascus that such a deployment would threaten Israeli security and that Israel acted after those warnings were allegedly ignored. Türkiye has rejected the Israeli justification and condemned the strikes as unlawful and destabilizing.
The incident also prompted a rare public expression of concern from Washington. Tom Barrack, the US special envoy for Syria and ambassador to Türkiye, described the Israeli strikes as an “unnecessary escalation” and said Washington was working to establish a deconfliction mechanism involving Israel, Türkiye and Syria. The proposed mechanism is intended to improve communication between the parties and reduce the risk of an unintended military confrontation.
The Israeli strike and Netanyahu’s subsequent warning coincided with a field visit to the occupied southern Syria area by Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. Zamir toured Israeli-occupied positions in the buffer zone and held an operational assessment with senior commanders. He said Israel was operating on several fronts where the security challenges were constantly changing and identified Syria as one of those fronts.
Zamir said Israel would not allow “hostile forces” to establish themselves along its borders and stressed that the military would use force when it considered it necessary and at an appropriate time. He also said Israel was seeking to prevent the emergence of terrorist threats and military capabilities near its borders, pointing to the security zone and buffer area established by Israel in southern Syria.
The confrontation reflects a broader struggle over the future security and political order of Syria following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad. Türkiye has emerged as a major supporter of Syria’s new leadership under President Ahmed al-Sharaa. It has provided military and logistical assistance as Damascus seeks to rebuild state institutions and its armed forces. Türkiye and Syria have also developed military cooperation, including training and equipment arrangements.
Israel, meanwhile, has sought to dominate Syrian sovereignty and prevent the emergence of what it allegedly regards as new military threats on its northern frontier. Israeli forces have occupied positions and a buffer zone inside Syrian territory near the occupied Golan Heights and have repeatedly conducted military operations in Syria since Assad’s fall. Israel says these measures are necessary to prevent hostile forces from establishing military infrastructure close to its borders.
The latest dispute is particularly sensitive because Türkiye is a NATO member and has substantially expanded its involvement in Syria. At the same time, Israel regards any Turkish military coordination in Syria as a potential strategic threat. The two countries have already experienced a sharp deterioration in relations over the Gaza war and their competing approaches to Syria.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has previously accused Israel of undermining Syria’s sovereignty and stability through its military operations and warned that Israeli attacks could threaten efforts to stabilize the country. Ankara has strongly rejected Israeli claims that Turkish involvement in Syria represents a threat to Israel, insisting that its cooperation with Damascus is aimed at strengthening Syria’s stability and security.
The Abu al-Duhur Israeli assault has therefore raised the risk of a direct confrontation between two regional powers that are both militarily active in Syria. Although no Turkish forces were reported to have been hit in the Israeli operation, the fact that the strike occurred after a Turkish delegation visited the base has heightened concerns in Ankara and Washington over the possibility of miscalculation.
