Israel’s attack in northern Syria has returned to the agenda after a U.S. representative warned that it could lead to a direct military confrontation between Israel and Türkiye. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz wrote that Thomas Barak, the U.S. ambassador to Türkiye and the U.S. President’s special envoy for Syria, had warned of this risk.
Haaretz criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to launch the attack and wrote that the rising tensions could turn into a direct confrontation between Israel and Türkiye. In an editorial published on Sunday, the newspaper wrote that Netanyahu had acted in northern Syria rather than in Gaza, Lebanon or the West Bank as elections planned for October approached.
Eight strikes on an airfield in Idlib
Israeli warplanes struck the runway of the Abu Zuhur military airfield in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province eight times last Tuesday. The attacks damaged the airfield’s infrastructure.
Sources at Türkiye’s Defense Ministry said that no Turkish military mission had been present at Abu Zuhur Air Base before or during the attack.
Haaretz wrote that Netanyahu defended the operation on the grounds that it targeted the expansion of the Turkish presence in the region. The newspaper said Ankara and Washington rejected this assessment and accused Netanyahu of acting out of electoral calculations.
U.S. representative warns of confrontation
Thomas Barak said that the attack could turn into a direct military confrontation between Israel and Türkiye. Barak also indicated that this could be Israel’s actual objective.
Barak said that Türkiye did not want to attack Israel or enter into a military confrontation with it. However, he warned that Israel could make “irrational decisions” on these issues under the influence of the election period.
Haaretz calls for diplomacy
The newspaper wrote that Israel’s military action came at a time when international powers were working to establish stability in Syria. It said that one of the main aims of these efforts was to prevent Iran and Russia from rebuilding their influence in the country.
Haaretz argued that Israel’s policies conflicted with these efforts. The newspaper said this approach could distance not only Syrians but also the international powers involved in the Syria issue, particularly the United States, from Israel.
The editorial questioned whether the bombing could drive Türkiye out of Syria and whether diplomatic avenues had been exhausted. It warned of the consequences that could result from Israel confronting Türkiye, a NATO member and close U.S. ally.
The newspaper wrote that Israel needed to develop a policy suited to the new conditions in the Middle East. It described Netanyahu’s operation in northern Syria as “limited, dangerous and futile,” and said that Israel was being left out as new alliances were formed in the region.
Haaretz stressed that security and the prevention of threats could not be achieved through bombing alone. The newspaper said military means could not replace systematic policy and diplomacy, and called on the Israeli government to heed Barak’s warnings and avoid being drawn into a conflict with Türkiye.
Syria appeals to the United Nations
Syria sent two separate letters to the United Nations and the United Nations Security Council after the attack on Abu Zuhur Airfield. The letters, described as having identical content, said that Israel’s attacks, carried out through bombardments, ground advances and abductions, were obstructing efforts to establish stability and exposing the region to the threat of greater tensions.
After the administration in Syria was overthrown on December 8, 2024, Israel expanded the scope of its attacks to weapons and missile depots and strategic military sites across the country.
