Defense Minister Katz Details IDF-Recommended Strike on Syrian Airbase with Prior Warnings to Syria and US

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued an unusual statement clarifying that the recommendation to strike the Abu al-Duhur airbase in Syria came from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). According to Katz, the IDF repeatedly advised carrying out the attack based on clear intelligence indicating Turkey's intentions to conduct operations there that would threaten Israel's security.

Before approving the strike, it was agreed that direct warnings would be given to the highest levels of the Syrian regime in an effort to prevent the action, and this was done. Simultaneously, the intelligence was shared with authorized US officials. After these warnings were ignored, Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized the IDF to proceed with the attack, which was successfully executed.

Katz also commented that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was caught "with his hand in the cookie jar" and forced to retreat. He criticized the response from the US envoy, Barak, describing it as full of inaccuracies and contradictory to President Donald Trump's own position regarding the Golan Heights.