Israel’s attack in northern Syria has raised concerns that military tensions in the region could develop into a direct conflict involving Türkiye. Thomas Barak, the US special representative for Syria and Iraq, said the attack carried a risk of rapid military escalation among Israel, Syria and Türkiye.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged in a statement on Tuesday evening that eight airstrikes had been carried out against the Abu Zuhur Air Base in Idlib province on Tuesday morning. The attacks caused material damage to the air base’s infrastructure.
Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications said the allegations made about Türkiye by Netanyahu’s office aimed to legitimize attacks targeting Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Barak calls for communication channels to remain open
In remarks to The Jerusalem Post, Barak described the attacks as “dangerous and concerning.” Saying he was pleased that there had been no loss of life and that tensions had not escalated further, Barak said the absence of open communication channels between the parties could lead to much more serious consequences.
Barak said there was a real risk of rapid escalation toward a direct military conflict among Israel, Türkiye and Syria. He added that calm discussions were being held with the parties to reactivate the de-escalation mechanism and said Türkiye could be involved in the process directly or indirectly.
Emphasizing that diplomatic dialogue was the best way to prevent armed conflict, Barak said there was no fundamental obstacle to the parties keeping their communication channels open.
Talks following the Paris agreement
Syria and Israel agreed at US-mediated talks held in Paris on January 6, 2026, to establish a joint communication mechanism for information-sharing and coordination aimed at reducing military tensions. The parties also decided to maintain diplomatic contacts and explore opportunities for commercial cooperation.
Barak said the United States’ immediate priority was to help reduce tensions between Türkiye and Israel and prevent an unintended escalation that would be difficult to control. He called on all parties to act patiently in order to find a lasting solution to the complex situation.
In recent years, Barak has hosted several meetings between the government of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and senior Israeli officials. The talks aimed 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, following the latest developments, it had become important to resume the talks as soon as possible.
Barak said the Syrian government had declared that it did not harbor 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 the US assessment was that civilian infrastructure did not pose a security threat to Israel and added that Syria should be able to maintain safe and reliable domestic flights using 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.
