A security source tells Kan News that Israel attempted to reach understandings with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa prior to striking the Abu al-Duhur airbase. A Syrian Foreign Ministry source denied to Al Jazeera that any agreement exists enshrining a new security reality, and said Israel attacked despite being told the base held no foreign forces. The Turkish presidency accused Prime Minister Netanyahu of using claims to justify 'illegal airstrikes' and called on him to abandon 'aggressive' policies.
Tuesday night, Israel confirmed it struck the Abu al-Duhur airbase in Syria to prevent Turkish military entrenchment, with the Prime Minister's Office stating that multiple warnings were issued to Damascus. Now, a security source tells Kan News that Israel also attempted to reach diplomatic understandings with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa before the operation, but those efforts did not avert the strike.
Reacting to the development, a Syrian Foreign Ministry source told Al Jazeera that no agreement exists between Syria and Israel enshrining any security reality, and that Israel attacked despite being informed the base held no foreign forces. The Turkish presidency accused Prime Minister Netanyahu of manufacturing justifications for "illegal airstrikes" and called on him to abandon what it described as "aggressive and coercive" policies.
Israeli statements emerged in quick succession at 23:27 Tuesday. The PMO confirmed the strike and said Syria was "on the verge of breaching" the security status quo by hosting Turkish troops at Abu al-Duhur. In the same hour, a security official told Kan News the strike followed failed indirect talks with al-Sharaa after Turkey attempted to deploy forces at a base roughly 70 km from Israel's border. The PMO later elaborated that Israel had issued multiple warnings before acting.
As The Zioneer has reported, Syrian President al-Sharaa stated on July 26 that he was pursuing a security agreement with Israel and had "no interest" in confrontation. The Trump administration has also pressed for direct Israel-Syria talks, as The Zioneer reported on June 30. An analysis published by The Zioneer on July 14 warned that Turkish President Erdogan was tightening control over Syria while Israel focused elsewhere.
The denials from Damascus and Ankara leave open the question of what understandings, if any, exist between Israel and Syria. The Zioneer has noted the assessment that Turkey's military entrenchment near Israel's border constitutes a red line.
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