US Envoy Says Israel Gave No Advance Warning Before Syria Airstrike

ISTANBUL: The United States special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, has said Israel did not notify Washington before carrying out an airstrike on the Abu Duhur air base in northern Syria earlier this week, raising concerns over the risk of a wider confrontation involving Turkey.

Barrack, who also serves as the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, said the Israeli strike on Tuesday may have been intended to deter or provoke Turkey as Ankara expands its military cooperation with Syria. He described the absence of prior notification to the United States or Turkey as particularly concerning.

The airstrike damaged the Abu Duhur base in Idlib province but caused no casualties. Israel said the operation was carried out after Syria came close to violating an agreed security status quo by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at the facility.

Barrack said Israel may have received intelligence indicating that Turkey was strengthening its presence at the base. He also suggested that the strike could have resulted from a miscommunication between Israeli military and intelligence authorities.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, however, disputed Barrack’s account. Katz said Israel had warned senior Syrian officials and simultaneously shared intelligence reports with relevant U.S. authorities. He maintained that the strike was authorized after warnings were not heeded and that Israel had intelligence indicating Turkish intentions that it considered a threat.

Syrian officials said a Turkish delegation had visited the Abu Duhur air base a day before the Israeli attack to review rehabilitation work at the facility. The reported visit was the first confirmed Turkish presence at the strategically located base.

Turkey has been supporting Syria’s efforts to rebuild its armed forces by providing training, equipment and logistical assistance under a military cooperation agreement signed last year. Ankara has repeatedly emphasized that Syria’s security is closely linked to Turkey’s own national security.

The incident has further strained already tense relations between Turkey and Israel. Washington has expressed concern over developments in Syria and has sought to encourage diplomatic engagement between Israel and the Syrian authorities.

Barrack also warned that an unintended military miscalculation could have serious consequences, particularly if Turkish forces were to perceive Israeli aircraft approaching the border as a direct threat.

The latest escalation comes amid continuing Israeli military operations in Syria following the fall of Bashar Assad’s government in December 2024. Israel has maintained that it seeks to prevent hostile forces from establishing a military presence near its borders, while Syria and Turkey have condemned Israeli strikes as violations of Syrian sovereignty.