US envoy Barrack says Israel gave no notice before Syria strikes
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US envoy Tom Barrack accused Israel of giving no warning before strikes on Syria's Abu Duhur base this week. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said intelligence was shared with US authorities before Tuesday's strike. Barrack called the strikes an 'unnecessary escalation' possibly aimed at 'baiting the Turks'.
Key Facts
- US envoy Tom Barrack said Israel gave no warning before strikes on Syria's Abu Duhur military base this week.
- Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said intelligence was shared with US authorities before Tuesday's strike.
- Barrack called the Israeli strikes an 'unnecessary escalation' and said they may have aimed at 'baiting the Turks'.
- Katz denounced Barrack's comments as 'full of inaccuracies' and contradicting President Trump's stance on the Golan Heights.
- Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa stressed his government is not seeking conflict with Israel.
The Dispute
Tom Barrack, US ambassador to Turkiye and special envoy to Syria, accused Israel of offering no warning before military strikes in Syria this week. Israeli officials insisted they did provide notice, with Defence Minister Israel Katz saying on Saturday that Israel shared 'intelligence information to the authorised parties in the United States' prior to Tuesday's strike. Katz denounced Barrack's comments as 'full of inaccuracies and positions that contradict the stance of US President Donald Trump himself' regarding Israel's military occupation of Syria's Golan Heights. Barrack, who called the strikes an 'unnecessary escalation', said the attacks on the Abu Duhur military base in northern Syria may have been aimed at 'baiting the Turks'.
Regional Context
Israel has stepped up threats against Turkiye in recent months, portraying the country as a potential rival aiming to expand its regional influence. Turkiye blasted the Israeli strikes as 'reckless'. Israel has routinely launched strikes in Syria and occupied swaths of its southern regions since the ouster of former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. The US has attempted to broker talks between the two countries to de-escalate the situation.
US Policy
Despite occasional criticism of Israel's actions in Syria and elsewhere, the Trump administration has taken no firm measures to pressure Israel to stop its military campaigns. Trump has continued to adhere to the US policy of near-unconditional support for Tel Aviv, praising Israel as a 'great ally'. Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda fighter who has cultivated close ties with the US and Turkiye, stressed that his government is not seeking conflict with Israel.
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US envoy Barrack says Israel gave no notice before Syria strikes
