Envoy says Israel did not give the US notice before strikes on Syrian base

What the report says

US envoy Tom Barrack has accused Israel of failing to give Washington adequate notice before strikes this week on the Abu Duhur military base in northern Syria, according to Al Jazeera’s reporting. Barrack, who serves as the US ambassador to Turkiye and special envoy to Syria, described the attack as an unnecessary escalation and suggested it may have been intended to draw Turkey into the dispute. Israel rejects that account.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel had shared intelligence with authorised US officials before the Tuesday strike. He also criticized Barrack’s comments, arguing they contained inaccuracies and conflicted with positions associated with US President Donald Trump. Turkey, meanwhile, condemned the Israeli action as reckless and denied Israeli claims that it was preparing to deploy forces to the site.

The exchange adds to wider regional tension involving Israel, Syria and Turkey. Al Jazeera reported that Israel has carried out repeated strikes in Syria and expanded its military presence in parts of the south since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Israel says it is acting against security threats, while Damascus has said it does not want conflict and has denied plans for a Turkish base at Abu Duhur.

The dispute also underscores the limits of US efforts to reduce friction between the parties. Al Jazeera noted that Washington has tried to mediate, while the Trump administration has continued to back Israel strongly despite occasional criticism of its actions in Syria.