Mossad chief spoke with Syrian FM; Netanyahu: 'We made the message very clear to Turkey. Don't'

Mossad chief Roman Gofman held a phone conversation with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani last week, discussing Turkey's military presence in Syria, according to Reuters. The following day, Israel launched a strike on the Abu al-Duhur air base in northwestern Syria, near the Turkish border. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel would not accept a Turkish military entrenchment in Syria, threatening to take action if necessary.

Three sources familiar with the situation told Reuters that the call between Gofman and al-Shaibani took place on August 14, four days prior to the strike. This was one of the highest-level contacts between Israel and Syria's new government in Damascus. Netanyahu's comments were met with criticism from Democrats chairman Yair Golan, who called the strike "provocative and dangerous" and suggested it risked a confrontation with Turkey and strained relations with the United States.

Israel and Turkey have had tense relations regarding Syria's future, with Turkey supporting rebel groups against Assad's regime and now being an ally of Syria's new government. Turkey's defense minister previously stated that Turkey had over 20,000 troops in Syria and had no plans to withdraw them.