Amid Rising Tensions, IDF Chief Zamir Visits Troops in Southern Syria

Two days after the Israeli strike in Syria’s Idlib province, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visited Syrian territory today (Wednesday). During the visit, Zamir toured IDF positions in the security zone in the southern part of the country and met with the troops stationed in the area.

The tour took place amid growing tensions between Israel and Turkey, which escalated following the strike on the Abu al-Duhur military airfield. The strike was carried out amid plans to allow Turkish forces to deploy at the base, a move Israel viewed as a potential threat and a violation of the existing understandings with Syria.

According to the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel and Syria reached understandings intended to preserve the existing security situation. However, the possibility that Turkish forces would be stationed at the air force base prompted Israel’s response. Netanyahu’s office further emphasized that “Israel repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would pose a threat to its security. Syria chose to ignore these warnings. Israel will not tolerate threats to its security and would welcome a return to the status quo.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejected the claims and criticized Netanyahu. According to Erdogan, “The claims raised by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, which have no truth whatsoever, are intended to justify Israel’s illegal airstrikes, which harmed Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. These accusations stem from Netanyahu’s desire to continue his policy and destabilize the region ahead of the elections in Israel, expected to take place on October 27.”

Erdogan added: “Turkey, like an overwhelming majority of the international community, supports the establishment of stable and lasting peace in our region. The only way to achieve this is for Netanyahu to abandon his aggressive, forceful policy and respect international law.”