Israeli Military Warns Against Politically Driven Escalation Amid Increased Gaza Strikes
As Israel approaches its elections, the defense establishment is warning against a politically motivated escalation of violence, amid intensified Israeli Air Force strikes in Gaza over the past two weeks. Security officials told Channel 13 that they anticipate attempts to provoke conflict ahead of the vote but emphasized that Israel will not support unnecessary wars.
Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir recently visited Syria, affirming the IDF's vigilance over developments on the Syrian front and warning that hostile forces will not be allowed to establish themselves near Israel's borders. Zamir stressed the need to prevent both terrorist threats and significant military buildup along Israel's frontiers.
The visit followed an Israeli strike deep inside Syria, confirmed by the Prime Minister's Office, targeting Turkish forces near Aleppo after Damascus allegedly allowed their deployment. The strike drew condemnation from Syria, Turkey, and the United States. U.S. envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrett warned that Turkey had not been forewarned and could have responded militarily.
Israeli concerns focus on Turkey's intentions to use Syrian bases leased from Assad to Iran and the Turkish Navy's growing proximity to Israeli naval vessels. Israeli officials singled out Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan for his hardline stance and frequent visits to Syria. A senior IDF officer noted that Israel seeks to avoid open conflict with Turkey, given multiple active fronts in the Middle East.
Separately, Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shibani confirmed Syria holds nuclear material for civilian use, under IAEA safeguards, following the Israeli strike on the Abu al-Zuhur military airfield. Despite Syria's condemnation of the strikes as violations of sovereignty, al-Shibani recently expressed willingness to pursue a security agreement with Israel, potentially paving the way for peace without relinquishing Syria's claims to the Golan Heights. He also stated Syria does not intend to intervene militarily in Lebanon but is discussing security cooperation with Beirut.
Israeli officials have reportedly shared sensitive intelligence with the U.S. to prevent Syria's Iran-backed regime from following Assad's path, underscoring the complex regional dynamics ahead of Israel's elections.
