Israel says it struck to prevent Turkey from establishing a military foothold that could restrict its freedom of action. But the attack risks pushing Damascus closer to Ankara, while officials in Washington, Syria and Turkey suspect Israeli election politics played a role

With Israeli elections approaching, analysts say Netanyahu needs a new escalation, undermining deconfliction efforts.

Rhetoric is one thing. Action is another. The bombing of Syria is not entirely new. Israel carried out thousands of airstrikes before the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.