Turkey is a “rival and not an enemy” to Israel, security officials said on Sunday, warning that the situation could change amid the ongoing shifts in the Middle East.
According to assessments within the security establishment, Turkey seeks to strengthen a Sunni axis that is, among other things, anti-Israel.
The officials rejected Syrian and Turkish denials, saying warnings were issued before the strike but ignored by the parties involved. Therefore, under close scrutiny and following recommendations from Israeli intelligence and the Israeli Air Force, including pressure from IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, the decision was made to carry out the strike in order to send a message while clearly avoiding harm to people.
Security officials clarified that Israel’s commitment after October 7 is to identify threats and eliminate them at their earliest stages. This commitment is reflected in the context of the Syrian-Turkish process, where the security establishment continues to monitor developments and ensure that it does not change form or attempt to advance through other means.
Israel monitoring Lebanon-Syria dynamics
Security officials also said that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is known to have deep hatred toward Hezbollah and the Iranians. According to assessments, the day is not far off when he will demand a price and seek revenge from them for the killing of his forces during the Syrian civil war under ousted president Bashar Assad, despite his statements expressing moderation and a desire for peace.
Therefore, the officials said that Israel is also monitoring the dynamics between Lebanon and Syria to ensure that certain geographic areas do not become lawless zones that could threaten Israel in the future.
Meanwhile, security officials hinted that Turkey is working to reach Israel’s border not only through Syrian territory but also through additional routes, such as the Gaza Strip.
The security establishment is monitoring these efforts in order to prevent them. Some of the activity is being carried out through diplomatic channels, with mediation from the US and other allies.
Israel-Syria talks halted after strike on military air base
Meanwhile, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said Sunday morning that following the strike in Syria, talks with Israel had been halted and no date had been set for their renewal. In an interview with Reuters, al-Shaibani said Damascus’ priority is to stop Israeli strikes and that steps are needed to build trust toward that goal.
The Syrian foreign minister also said that in the days following Assad’s fall in 2024, “Israel tried to maintain its security through brute force and it did not succeed.” He added that the US is attempting to pressure Israel to return to the dialogue table, saying, “It is very difficult to bet on Israel, but Syria had very high hopes of building stable relations with its neighbors.”
Al-Shaibani claimed that at the beginning of the year, the sides had “agreed on paper on almost everything” regarding a security agreement that would include several security zones in Syrian territory near the Israeli border. These included a buffer zone where only the UN would be present, as well as other areas where Syrian forces would be deployed at varying levels of strength. However, he added that “we have not seen that Israel has the genuine desire to reach an agreement.”