Mossad Chief Warns Syrian Foreign Minister About Turkish Military Presence Before Israeli Airstrike

Last week, Mossad Chief Ronen Gutfman held an unusual phone conversation with Syria's new Foreign Minister, Assad al-Shaybani, focusing on the growing Turkish military presence in Syria. The call, which took place just days before Israel launched a significant airstrike on the Syrian military base of Abu al-Duhur in northwestern Syria, marked one of the highest-level contacts between Jerusalem and the new Damascus administration. Gutfman expressed Israeli concerns about Turkish forces deploying near the border, especially given Ankara's increased military activity in the region. Israel claimed responsibility for the airstrikes, accusing Damascus of violating the security status quo by allowing Turkish forces to station at the airbase near Aleppo. The Prime Minister's office stated that Israel had repeatedly warned Syria that such deployments posed a threat to Israeli security.

Following the attack, U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrett revealed that Turkey was not given prior warning of the Israeli strikes. However, Turkish forces detected Israeli jets moving north toward their territory and could have responded militarily. Barrett noted that "calm heads" prevented further escalation. Turkey responded aggressively in its media, labeling Israel's actions a "serious provocation" and blaming Israel for tensions. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the Israeli strikes as violations of Syrian sovereignty and warned that Turkey would not hesitate to engage in war if provoked.

Barrett emphasized the incident highlights the urgent need for a stronger mechanism to prevent clashes among Israel, Turkey, and Syria. While Washington currently facilitates information sharing and dialogue, he called for enhanced measures to reduce misunderstandings and the risk of military escalation. Both the Israeli Prime Minister's office and the Syrian Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the reported conversation between Gutfman and al-Shaybani. This diplomatic engagement comes amid rising regional tensions, with the expanding Turkish military presence in Syria remaining a complex concern for all parties involved.