Syria says Israeli strike near Damascus violation

Syria has condemned an Israeli attack on the village of Beit Jinn, southwest of the country's capital Damascus, which authorities stated hit a civilian vehicle and left several people injured. The attack was the second known Israeli strike on Syria in the past week, with Syria branding it a "violation" of its sovereignty and international law.

In a post on X, the Israeli military stated it had targeted a "terrorist" in the "final stages" of preparing attacks which posed an immediate threat to soldiers. The latest matter comes days after reports emerged Israel had struck a military airbase close to the Turkish border, which Syria stated threatened to escalate tensions in the region.

Key Analysis and Detailed Timeline

After the earlier attack, Washington issued a rare rebuke of Israel, calling it an "unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability". In an interview on Friday, the US ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, suggested that the strike could be "the Israelis baiting the Turks" in an attempt to draw Turkey into a conflict ahead of upcoming Israeli elections.

Barrack's comments led Israel's far-right defence minister, Israel Katz, to describe his account as "full of inaccuracies". Writing on X, Katz added Israeli forces were acting "in light of clear intelligence information about Turkey's intentions".

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Following Tuesday's strikes on the Abu al-Duhur airbase, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu published a statement: "Israel and Syria agreed to a status quo in security matters, which Syria was on the verge of breaching " After the strike Turkey did not confirm whether any of its troops moved to the Abu al-Duhur airbase, which sits 70km from the Turkish border.

However, Ankara rejected Israel's suggestion that it posed a threat. Abu al-Duhur airbase has been out of service as a dedicated military airfield since 2013. Rebel forces seized control of the base as they swept through the country in December 2024.

Broader Impact and Sector Outlook

Israel occupies territory in southwest Syria it seized after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in 2024. Syria has been trying to rebuild its military facilities that were damaged during the offensive that saw Bashar al-Assad's government overthrown. The Turkish military has provided assistance to Syria since the overthrow of Assad, while Israel continues to view both countries with deep suspicion.

Al-Sharaa has forged closer ties with the West since coming to power, particularly the US and in November 2025 he became the first Syrian leader to visit the White House. Israel strikes Syria after Druze clashes Jeremy Bowen: Syria feels lighter without the Assads' crushing weight - but now there are new problems