The latest Israeli attack on the village of Beit Jinn in southern Syria struck a vehicle and left several people injured, with Damascus denouncing a new violation of international law and the Israeli military responding that the target was a “terrorist” in the final stages of preparing attacks.
The attack was the second known Israeli strike in Syria since last Tuesday, when a military airbase near the Turkish border was hit—an incident that, in a rare rebuke of Israel, Washington characterized it as “an unnecessary escalation that does not promote regional stability.”
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The U.S. ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, suggested that the attack could be “a ploy by the Israelis against the Turks” in an effort to draw Turkey into a conflict ahead of the upcoming Israeli elections.
Barack’s comments led Israel’s far-right Defense Minister, Israel Katz, to describe his account as “full of inaccuracies,” adding, however, that “Israeli forces were acting ‘based on clear intelligence regarding Turkey’s intentions.’”
Turkey’s Role
Following Tuesday’s airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur airbase, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement: “Israel and Syria had agreed on a status quo regarding security matters, which Syria was on the verge of violating by allowing Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo.”
Analysts said the Israeli strike was likely a message directed at Turkey, as Abu al-Duhur is located near Idlib and “within Turkey’s sphere of influence,” according to an Al Jazeera analysis.
The Abu al-Duhur airbase is 70 km from the Turkish border and has been out of service as a dedicated military airport since 2013. Rebel forces took control of the base in December 2024.
Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in 2024, the Turkish military has provided assistance to Syria and continues to maintain a military presence in the northwest, while Israel has occupied territories in southwestern Syria.
Israel has previously expressed concern and opposition to Turkish influence in Syria. Netanyahu is reported to have held security consultations regarding Ankara’s role in Syria.
Naftali Bennett, Israel’s former prime minister, who is also a candidate to replace Netanyahu in Israel’s October elections, has called Turkey “the new Iran”.
Source: ertnews.gr
