IDF Chief Visits Syria, Warns Against Hostile Forces Near Israeli Borders After Airstrike

A day after the Israeli Air Force carried out an unusual strike on a Syrian military base reportedly hosting Turkish forces, IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir visited the area in Syria on Wednesday. Zamir declared that Israel will not allow hostile forces to establish themselves near its borders and emphasized the need to prevent the emergence of significant military threats or terrorist activities along the frontier. The strike targeted the Abu al-Duhur military airport in eastern Idlib countryside, where four aircraft attacked runways and storage facilities, according to the Syrian news agency Sabrin.

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office confirmed the strike in an English statement, accusing Syria of nearly violating a security status quo by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at the airbase near Aleppo. Israel warned Syria repeatedly that such deployments would threaten Israeli security, but Syria ignored these warnings. The statement stressed Israel's refusal to tolerate security threats and welcomed a return to the previous status quo.

Turkey reacted strongly to the strike, with the pro-government newspaper Türkiye calling it a "serious provocation" and accusing Israel of conducting a war provocation by bombing a military airport just 55 kilometers from the Turkish border. However, these statements were not widely emphasized in Turkish media. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's recent talks with former U.S. President Donald Trump, aimed at resolving regional crises including in Gaza and Iran, were cited by Turkish media as a factor prompting Israel's strike.

Satellite images shared by the intelligence account "Egypt's Intel Observer" on X revealed ongoing reconstruction at the targeted airbase, suggesting intentions to restore its operational capacity, possibly with Turkish support or future Turkish deployment. Meanwhile, Turkey announced readiness to cooperate with Damascus on oil and gas exploration in Syria, with Turkish energy minister Alparslan Bayraktar stating that Turkish state and private companies are prepared to conduct seismic surveys and drilling. Additionally, Turkey and Syria plan to soon operate a new electricity infrastructure to triple Syria's power transmission capacity.

Zamir's visit to the 210th Brigade in Syrian territory and his statements underline Israel's firm stance against any hostile military presence near its borders, reinforcing the message conveyed by the recent airstrike.