Why Israel's strike in northern Syria surprised Damascus
Why Israel's strike in northern Syria surprised Damascus newspress_en Fri, 08/21/2026 - 05:28 Politics Several phone calls, not just one, took place last week between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Roman Gofman, the new head of Mossad, Israel's intelligence service, before the strike on Abu al-Duhur airport in northern Syria, near the Turkish border on 18 August. Former Mossad…
Israel's airstrike on an airport in northern Syria on August 18, 2026, caught Damascus off guard despite ongoing communication efforts between the two nations. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Israeli Mossad head Roman Gofman, along with other senior Israeli officials, had been holding negotiations with Syria under US sponsorship in various capitals.
The strike, which targeted Abu al-Duhur airport near the Turkish border, created tensions among Israel, Turkey, and Syria, as it was seen as a potential Turkish military build-up. Syrian officials stressed that the airport was being rehabilitated for energy corridors and border security, not to host Turkish forces. Despite Washington's requests for Israel to de-escalate the situation through their deconfliction line, Israel proceeded with the airstrike, drawing criticism from Arab and Turkish nations.
Israel claimed it was to prevent a possible Turkish military presence, while Syria denied any such intentions.
Written by urgent.news from Al Majalla English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
