Political and public discussions intensified after an Israeli strike on the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in eastern Idlib province, Syria. The escalation coincided with a dispute over a statement by a Syrian diplomatic source denying the existence of any security agreement between Damascus and Israel. Israel, for its part, said it carried out the strike to prevent the possible deployment of Turkish military forces at airbases near Aleppo.
The Syrian diplomat stressed that reports of a secret agreement with Tel Aviv were untrue. The remarks sparked anger among Syrians, many of whom accused Israel of using unverified claims to justify strikes and interference in the country’s internal affairs. Social media users also said that Syria remains a sovereign state and has the right to conclude defense agreements with any partners if it deems this necessary to protect national security.
Hussein al-Sharaa, the father of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, said that the ongoing Israeli attacks were undermining the country’s stability, hindering its recovery and weakening its military capabilities. He said Damascus’s restraint was motivated by international considerations and the task of rebuilding the state, rather than by weakness. He also stressed that Syrians were ready to form combat forces within a short period and said that the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights must be returned.
Analysts link the escalation to four obstacles facing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policy: the strengthening of Syrian state institutions; the rapid development of Syrian-Turkish military cooperation; differences between Netanyahu’s approach and that of US President Donald Trump’s administration toward Damascus and Ankara; and the expansion of US-Turkish cooperation in the region. According to this assessment, the strikes may be aimed less at changing the rules of confrontation than at slowing new regional developments.
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What strategic role does the Abu al-Duhur airbase play in controlling eastern Idlib and the approaches to Aleppo? — The Abu al-Duhur airbase has important operational value because of its location between eastern Idlib, southern Aleppo province and parts of central Syria. It could potentially be used to station aircraft and drones, conduct reconnaissance, transport troops and provide supplies. Control of the base helps monitor routes to Aleppo and armed groups in Idlib. However, its actual value depends on the condition of its infrastructure, the availability of air-defense systems and the ability to hold the surrounding areas.
How could Syrian-Turkish military cooperation affect Turkey’s presence at former Syrian airbases and the balance of power in northern Syria? — Such cooperation could lead to the creation of joint observation posts, force training and the limited deployment of Turkish military personnel or equipment at selected facilities. This would strengthen Ankara’s influence and allow it to coordinate border control, operations against armed groups and logistics. At the same time, a Turkish presence at Syrian airbases could provoke opposition from Damascus, Russia, Iran and Kurdish forces. It would therefore most likely depend on political agreements and be limited or implemented in stages.
Full version: How did the president’s father and Syrians respond to Israel’s claims about the security situation?