Defense Minister Israel Katz said Saturday that Israel struck the Abu al-Duhur airfield deep inside Syria earlier this week after receiving what he described as clear intelligence that Turkey intended to carry out activity there that could threaten Israeli security.
In an unusual statement issued during Shabbat, Katz said the IDF had repeatedly recommended striking the airfield, which lies dozens of kilometers from the Turkish border. “The IDF recommended several times carrying out the strike at the Abu al-Duhur airfield in Syria in light of clear intelligence received regarding Turkey’s intentions to conduct activities there that would endanger the security of the State of Israel,” Katz said.
According to the defense minister, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Katz held several discussions with the IDF and other security officials before approving the operation. They decided first to issue a direct warning to senior figures in the Syrian government in an effort to prevent the suspected Turkish move, he said. Katz said the intelligence was also shared with relevant U.S. officials.
When Damascus failed to respond to the warning, Katz said, Israel authorized the strike, which he described as successful. “Erdogan was caught with his hand in the cookie jar and was forced to retreat,” Katz said, referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“We will not allow any actor to endanger the security of the State of Israel and will act against every threat, just as we did today in southern Syria,” he added. “This is the central lesson from the events of October 7.”
Katz also rejected claims that the strike was intended to inflame tensions ahead of Israel’s elections. “The attempt by elements in the opposition and parts of the media to paint the operation in Syria in political colors stems from a combination of ignorance, a lack of understanding of Israel’s security interests and a constant desire to attack the government, and deserves every condemnation,” he said.
Trump administration envoy to Syria and U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack also raised the possibility that political considerations had played a role in the strike.
In an interview with content creator Mario Nawfal, Barrack said one theory was that Israel had sought to provoke a Turkish military response. “One theory is that they [Israel] were just trying to bait Turkey,” Barrack said. “It’s a very aggressive move, but one that may play well going into the election, that’s one theory.”
Syria ignored Israel’s warning, and ‘Erdogan was caught with his hand in the cookie jar’
(Photo: AFP PHOTO / TURKISH PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE / HANDOUT)
US envoy Tom Barrack in an interview
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Barrack referred to Turkey’s downing of a Russian military aircraft in 2015 and said that during an election period, “irrational judgment” could come into play.
Barrack also said that “Israel occupies the Golan Heights, despite UN resolutions saying that it is Syrian territory,” adding that there was an “international consensus” on the issue. The first Trump administration recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights in 2019.
Katz responded sharply to Barrack on Saturday, saying the envoy’s remarks did not reflect the position of President Donald Trump. “Barrack’s response is full of inaccuracies and positions that contradict Trump’s own position regarding the Golan Heights,” Katz said.
Earlier Saturday, the IDF carried out another strike in Syria, targeting a vehicle in Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside. Syrian media reported that one person was wounded.
“The IDF carried out fire in southern Syria against a terrorist who was advancing terror plots at an advanced stage of preparation,” the military said. “The terrorist’s activity posed an immediate threat to our forces. The IDF will continue to act to remove any threat to IDF troops and the citizens of the State of Israel.”
First published: 16:08, 08.22.26