US questions intelligence behind Israeli Syria strike

DAMASCUS: Israel launched a new strike in Syria on Saturday, vehemently rejecting criticism from US envoy Tom Barrack over an earlier attack on a military air base in the northwest. Barrack lambasted the Israeli action as an "unnecessary escalation" that hinders regional stability. Following the attack on Friday, Barrack claimed the strike could have been designed to incite a conflict with Turkey, prompting Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz to retaliate on Saturday, labeling Barrack's remarks "full of inaccuracies."

Since the December 2024 overthrow of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad, Israel has conducted hundreds of strikes in Syria, along with sending troops into a UN-monitored buffer zone separating the two countries in the Golan Heights. Katz informed X on Saturday that Israel had shared intelligence with authorized US parties prior to the strike on Tuesday.

He also pointed out that Barrack's comments contradicted US President Donald Trump's stance on the Golan Heights, which Israel annexed in a move only recognized by the US and Colombia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, commenting on the Tuesday strike, accused Turkey, an ally of the new Damascus authorities, of seeking to establish a military presence at the air base.

Ankara denied any visit to the site. The two leaders have been at odds since the incident, with Ankara seeking an Interpol red notice against Netanyahu for alleged "genocide" related to the interception of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. Netanyahu's office called Erdogan an "antisemitic dictator," while Erdogan's office denounced his remarks as "outrageous ravings" and accused Netanyahu's government of attempting to evade accountability.

On Saturday, Syrian state television reported a man was wounded when an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle in the village of Beit Jinn, near the Golan Heights annexed by Israel, calling it a "flagrant violation" of its sovereignty. Israel's military confirmed the strike, stating that its forces fired at a terrorist preparing to carry out an attack, without specifying the target.

Israel has repeatedly intruded into Syrian territory and vowed to maintain a "security zone" in southern Syria, aiming for a wider demilitarized area. Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir of the Israeli army informed troops in southern Syria that they would monitor the evolving situation and prevent hostile forces from establishing themselves on their borders.