Illustrative image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
A formation of Israeli Air Force fighter jets flew over Syria on November 20 in an apparent show of force, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made warnings over Turkey’s military presence in the war-torn country.
The formation, made up of at least eight fighter jets, entered Syria from the south, flying at a very high altitude. The contrails of the fighter jets were seen in most of the country, all the way from al-Qunitra, Daraa and al-Suwayda in the south, to the capital, Damascus, then Homs and Hama in the center then ending in the west in Tartus and Latakia on the coast.
Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, Kan, later reported that the sortie was within normal operational parameters and that the fighter jets were conducting intelligence gathering alongside aerial reconnaissance.
In the days leading to the apparent show of force, a report by Kan revealed that talks with Syria on a security agreement have reached a “dead end.”
Another report by The Times of Israel, which cites a senior Israeli official, said that such a deal is “not in the cards right now.”
One of the key issues is reportedly Israel’s refusal to withdraw from the territories it occupied in southern Syria following the fall of the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad in December of last year.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told troops during a November 19 visit to a post in the newly-occupied territories that Israel’s ongoing presence in southern Syria is of “immense importance.” The visit included several top security and diplomatic officials.
“We attach immense importance to our capability here, both defensive and offensive,” Netanyahu told the troops during his visit, adding that the purpose includes “safeguarding our Druze allies, and especially safeguarding the State of Israel and its northern border opposite the Golan Heights.”
“This is a mission that can develop at any moment, but we are counting on you,” he said.
Netanyahu addressed the situation with Syria again just a few hours after the Israeli fighter jets made the sortie over the country.
He said that a security agreement with Syria is “preferable,” but that Israel won’t compromise on border security and protecting minorities in the neighboring country.
“I believe Syria has an interest — no less than Israel, and perhaps even more — in reaching a security agreement with us,” the premier said in an interview with the Abu Ali Express channel on Telegram.
Asked about Syrian President Al Sharaa’s interest in such an arrangement, which has been under United States-mediated negotiation, Netanyahu said, “There are various conditions involved — I won’t get into that.”
“But the important point is this: Israel is a very strong country. Israel is very determined. We will not allow threats to develop against us from southwest Syria, and we are also determined to protect our Druze allies” in the country, he said.
“Whether Syria wants to do this through an agreement — that is a separate question. In my view, an agreement is preferable. But the principles of defending our borders and defending our allies will be upheld in any case — with or without an agreement,” he added.
During the same interview, Netanyahu said that Israel wants to reach an arrangement with Turkey, but can’t rule out the country becoming a threat.
“I hope that threat doesn’t materialize, but we can’t rule it out,” Netanyahu said.
“We prefer a modus vivendi with Turkey,” the primer continued.
“They’re very stubborn and speak in an extreme way, and we push back on it. But in practice, we prevented their entry into southern Syria. They wanted to come in near our border — I said this will not happen. We also didn’t want them entering central Syria at the T-4 base — and we even struck that airfield,” he added, referring to a series of strikes from earlier this year.
At the same time, Netanyahu said that Israel “maintains dialogue beyond the headlines, telling them there’s mutual interest in avoiding confrontation.”
All recent developments indicate that Israel is not happy with the current situation in Syria, especially the growing influence of Turkey. This does not mean, however, that Netanyahu will go to war with the country.
While a security agreement between the two sides is becoming less and less likely, an arrangement that guarantees the security of both sides could still be reached before the end of the year. Syria is already exploring other options, including a Russian proposal to redeploy forces along the front with Israel. This seems the most likely scenario.
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