US Special Envoy for Syria and Iraq Thomas Barak said Israel’s targeting of a military airfield in northern Syria risked quickly escalating into direct military conflict between Israel, Syria and Türkiye.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged in a statement Tuesday evening that eight airstrikes had been carried out against Abu al-Zuhur Air Base in Idlib province on Tuesday morning. The strikes caused material damage to the base’s infrastructure.
Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications said the allegations made by Netanyahu’s office about Türkiye aimed to justify attacks targeting Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Barak calls for de-escalation
Speaking to The Jerusalem Post, Barak described the strikes as “dangerous and concerning.” He said he was pleased that there had been no loss of life and that the situation had not escalated further, adding that the absence of open lines of communication between the parties could produce a much worse outcome.
Barak said the attack posed a real risk of rapidly escalating into direct military conflict between Israel, Türkiye and Syria. He said calm discussions were underway with the parties on reactivating a de-escalation mechanism and added that Türkiye could be involved in the process directly or indirectly.
Barak stressed that diplomatic dialogue was the best way to prevent armed conflict and said there was no fundamental obstacle to the parties keeping their lines of communication open.
Syria-Israel talks
In recent years, Barak hosted several meetings between the government of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and senior Israeli officials to resolve the border dispute between the two countries, advance normalization and reduce tensions.
In the latest round of talks, the parties agreed to advance joint economic projects and establish a dispute-resolution mechanism based in Jordan.
Barak said concrete progress had been made in clarifying the parties’ concerns and that, in light of recent developments, it had become important to resume the talks as soon as possible.
Barak said the Syrian government had stated that it had no aggressive intentions toward Israel and was only seeking to protect its sovereignty. He described Syria as a sovereign, responsible and stable neighbor.
Barak said carefully designed de-escalation arrangements could strengthen calm and stability in the region. He said civilian infrastructure did not pose a security threat to Israel according to the US assessment and stated that Syria should be able to maintain safe and reliable domestic flights with an effective civilian radar system.
Barak said they believed this technical requirement did not necessarily create security concerns and that further talks could help clarify the issue in a way that satisfied all parties.
Communication mechanism agreed in Paris
Barak said the US priority should be to help reduce tensions between Türkiye and Israel and prevent an unintentional escalation that would be difficult to control. He stressed that all parties should act patiently to find a lasting solution to the complex situation.
On January 6, 2026, Syria and Israel agreed during US-mediated talks in Paris to establish a joint communication mechanism for information-sharing and coordination to reduce military tensions. The parties also agreed to maintain diplomatic contacts and explore opportunities for commercial cooperation.
