Israel conducts fresh strike in Syria after US criticism

On Saturday, Israel launched a fresh strike in Syria, reacting to US criticism of an earlier attack on an air base in the northwest, which Israel blamed on Turkey's alleged misuse of the facility. US envoy for Syria Tom Barrack lambasted Israel's action as an "unnecessary escalation" that does not promote regional stability. On Friday, Barrack suggested the strike might have been intended to incite a conflict with Turkey in an interview with influencer Mario Nawfal.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz responded on Saturday, accusing Barrack's remarks of being "full of inaccuracies" and contradicting US President Donald Trump's stance on the Golan Heights. Turkey has denied any visit to the air base. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Turkey sought a military presence on the air base, while Ankara rejected the claim.

Syrian state television reported a man wounded when an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle in the Golan Heights village of Beit Jinn, calling it a "flagrant violation" of its sovereignty. Israel denied the allegation, stating that its forces fired upon a terrorist preparing to carry out attacks. Israel maintains troops in a security zone in southern Syria, aiming for a broader demilitarized area.

Army Chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir warned troops in southern Syria that they would not tolerate hostile forces establishing a presence on their borders.