Israel Strikes Syrian Air Base and Launches Ground Raids

The Cabinet of Israel launched a series of military operations in Syria, beginning with an August 18 airstrike on the Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase in Idlib province. Israel justified the attack as a necessary move to prevent Turkey from deploying drones and radar systems, a move Israel considers a red line. On August 26, the Israeli military expanded its operations with multiple ground incursions into southern Syria, including raids in the Majham Room area of Dara’a province and the village of Saida al-Golan in Quneitra province.

These military actions occurred alongside a diplomatic effort mediated by the United States. Mossad Director Roman Gofman and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani met in Jordan to resume security negotiations that had been suspended since February. The talks focused on creating a U.S.-supervised coordination room to prevent confrontations between Israeli and Turkish forces and to establish mechanisms to halt Israeli strikes.

Despite the diplomatic outreach, significant friction remains. The Syrian government, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, seeks a return to the 1974 disengagement framework and rejects limits on Turkish military assistance. Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government in December 2024, Israel has voided the 1974 agreement and conducted over 1,000 airstrikes and 1,100 ground incursions. While the Sharaa administration has shown a pragmatic willingness to negotiate, Foreign Minister al-Shaibani stated, "We do not trust Israel."