Israeli Airstrikes Hit Syrian Airbase, Drawing Turkish Condemnation

Israel carried out eight airstrikes on a Syrian airbase in the country’s northwest on Tuesday, Syrian state media reported, drawing condemnation from Turkey and criticism from a senior U.S. envoy, who described the attack as an “unnecessary escalation.”

Syria’s state-run Ekhbariya television, citing a military source, said the strikes targeted the runway and storage facilities at the Abu al-Duhur airbase near Aleppo. A separate military source and a local resident said there were no casualties.

The attack appeared to be Israel’s first strike on Syrian government assets since March.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes, saying they violated Syria’s territorial unity and sovereignty. It called on the international community to take a stronger position to halt what it described as Israel’s escalating attacks on Syria.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Syria was on the verge of violating a security “status quo” agreed with Israel by allowing Turkish troops to deploy at the airbase.

Israel had repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would threaten its security, Netanyahu’s office said, adding that Israel would not tolerate security threats but would welcome a return to the previous status quo.

Turkey did not say whether its troops were stationed at the Syrian base.

Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria and Iraq, said Washington was deeply concerned about the strikes, calling them an unnecessary escalation that would not contribute to regional stability.

“The United States continues to believe that restraint and engagement offer the more constructive course,” Barrack said on X, urging all sides to prioritize dialogue over further military incidents.

Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shibani called for an end to the attacks and said Israel should reconsider its approach toward Syria.

“These attacks don’t have security justifications,” Shibani said, adding that Damascus would continue its diplomatic efforts to persuade Israel to stop its attacks.

The Abu al-Duhur base, located about 70 km (43.5 miles) east of the Turkish border, has not operated as a dedicated military airfield since 2013. It changed hands several times during Syria’s 14-year civil war between forces loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad and opposition groups.

Israel has repeatedly attacked Syrian military targets since Assad was ousted in 2024. Most of those strikes have targeted government sites in southern and central Syria, with the latest previous attack reported in March.

Israel remains deeply suspicious of Syria’s new rulers because of their Islamist militant backgrounds. It has said it will not tolerate an Islamist presence near its border, despite Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s growing ties with Western countries.

Sharaa said in July that Syria was seeking to reach a security agreement with Israel.

Following Assad’s removal, Israel seized territory in southwestern Syria and carried out extensive strikes against Syrian military weapons and equipment.

Israel also frequently targeted Syria during Assad’s rule in an effort to curb Iranian influence in the country.

The latest strikes come amid growing tensions between Israel and Turkey and increasingly hostile rhetoric between the two countries over Syria.

Ankara has accused Israel of seeking to destabilize Syria and undermine its new administration. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on August 6 that Israel continued to threaten Syria’s security through repeated attacks and called for international pressure on Israel to respect Syria’s territorial integrity.

Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest military, has become one of Sharaa’s key allies. Ankara has been helping train the Syrian army, rebuild state institutions and infrastructure, and providing military and diplomatic support.

Last year, Turkey and Israel established a communication channel aimed at preventing military incidents in Syria, where both countries maintain military operations.