In brief
Syria has condemned a recent Israeli strike on the village of Beit Jinn southwest of its capital, Damascus, saying the attack hit a civilian vehicle and injured several people. The clash marks the second Israeli strike on Syrian territory in a week, prompting Syria to label the incident a violation of its sovereignty and international law. In response, the Israeli military claims it targeted a "terrorist" in the final stages of planning an attack, citing an immediate threat to Israeli soldiers. The strike follows earlier reports of Israel hitting a Syrian military airbase near the Turkish border, a move that has sparked diplomatic tension between Israel, Syria, and Turkey. Washington has publicly rebuked Israel, calling the action unnecessary, while U.S. ambassador to Turkey suggests Israel may be baiting Turkey ahead of Israeli elections, provoking strong criticism from Israeli officials.
Syria has condemned an Israeli strike on the village of Beit Jinn, a settlement southwest of its capital Damascus, saying the attack hit a civilian vehicle and left several people injured. The event is the second known Israeli strike on Syrian territory in just one week, prompting Damascus to call it a violation of its sovereignty and international law.
In a statement on X, the Israeli military said it had targeted a "terrorist" in the final stages of preparing attacks that posed an immediate threat to Israeli soldiers. The latest incident follows reports that Israel struck a Syrian military airbase near the Turkish border, a move that has escalated regional tensions.
The United States publicly rebuked Israel, describing the strike as an "unnecessary escalation" that did not advance regional stability. US ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack suggested Israel may be baiting Turkey to draw it into a conflict ahead of Israeli elections, a claim Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz denounced as inaccurate and responded to with a statement claiming Israeli forces were acting on clear intelligence regarding Turkey's intentions.
Following the earlier strikes on the Abu al-Duhur airbase, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement noting that Israel and Syria had agreed to a status quo in security matters, claiming Syria had been on the verge of breaching this agreement by allowing Turkish troops to deploy near Aleppo.
The Abu al-Duhur base has been out of service as a military airfield since 2013, having been seized by rebel forces in December 2024. Israel occupies territory in southwest Syria seized after the fall of Bashar al‑Assad in 2024.
Despite ongoing conflict, Turkey has provided assistance to Syria since the overthrow of the Assad regime, while Israel views both countries with deep suspicion. Syrian President Bashar al‑Al‑Sharaa has forged closer ties with the West, including a historic visit to the White House in November 2025 as the first Syrian leader to do so.
