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An Israeli drone strike hit a mini-truck near the southern Syrian town of Beit Jinn, located just ten kilometers away from the occupied Golan Heights, on August 22.
In a statement claiming responsibility for the strike, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said that it targeted a “terror operative” who “advanced terror attacks in final stages of preparation.”
“The terrorist’s activity posed an immediate threat to our forces,” the military said.
The Syrian state-run SANA news agency reported that a man was moderately wounded in the strike, with activists later identifying him as an ex-member of the now-defunct 4th Armoured Division. The unit was one of the elite formations of the former Syrian military.
Israeli Army Radio later reported that the man was planning to plant an improvised explosive device to target IDF troops in southern Syria.
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Syria condemned the Israeli drone strike as a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty and “blatant breach of international law.”
“This attack constitutes a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic and the integrity of its territory, and a blatant breach of international law, and comes in the context of repeated Israeli attacks on Syrian territory,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The strike in Beit Jinn came just four days after the IDF attacked Abu Duhur air base in northwestern Syria to stop Turkey from deploying forces there. The attack on the air base sparked tensions with Ankara, and even drew criticism from the United States.
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, who is also a special envoy to Syria and Iraq, suggested in an interview with Lebanese-Australian entrepreneur Mario Nawfal broadcast on August 22 that a recent attack on Abu Duhur could have been an attempt by Israel to “bait” Turkey into conflict ahead of the elections.
“One theory is they were just baiting Turkey, and it’s a very aggressive, but maybe well-received, pre-election concept,” Barrack said, implying that conflict between Israel and Turkey would serve Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the elections scheduled for October 27.
Also during the interview, Barrack said that Israel “occupies” the Golan Heights, in direct contradiction to the official U.S. position, after Washington recognized Israeli sovereignty over the territory during President Donald Trump’s first term.
In response, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Barrack’s remarks were “full of inaccuracies” and included “positions that contradict the position of US President Trump.”
Regarding the attack on Abu Duhur, Katz said the IDF had recommended “several times” striking the air base due to Turkey’s alleged plans to deploy forces there, which “would endanger the security of the State of Israel.”
Katz added that after several discussions held with Benjamin Netanyahu and the military, “it was agreed that before granting approval [for the strike], a direct warning would be issued to the Syrian regime at the highest levels in an attempt to prevent [Turkey’s] move, and that is what was done.”
The defense minister noted that “at the same time, the intelligence was conveyed to the relevant authorities in the United States.”
After Israel’s warning “went unanswered,” Katz said he and Netanyahu “authorized the IDF to carry out the strike, and it was successfully carried out.”
Turkey lashed out against Israel over the attack on the air base, while Syria itself adopted a more tame response, condemning the strikes while maintaining its interest in a security agreement with Israel. The attack certainly pushed Damascus a little away from Ankara, and seeing this result, it is natural for Israel to escalate further.
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