The Israeli air force operated overnight between Wednesday and Thursday across Syria to prevent the use of military bases and facilities left in the country from the Assad regime era.
"The IDF will continue to act to remove any threat to the citizens of the State of Israel," the IDF said in a Wednesday night statement. The targets attacked included the T4 military airport near Homs, the military airport in Hama, and military infrastructure in the Damascus area.
An Israeli source told The Jerusalem Post that the military targets attacked overnight were completely destroyed.
Syria's Foreign Ministry later confirmed that the military airport in Hama was almost entirely destroyed in the Israeli strike and that dozens of civilians and soldiers were injured.
Beyond the concern that the Syrian military might use the attacked weapons, the strikes are also a signal to Turkey.
As reported this week by the Post, Ankara wants to turn the T4 base into a Turkish drone base and serve as the protector of Syria's skies.
The overnight strikes, an Israeli source told The Jerusalem Post, were intended to send a message to Turkey: "We will not allow you to establish a presence in Syria."
In Israel, the message to Syria's leader was clear: Do not cross red lines. Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday that he warned Syrian leader Al-Joulani, "Do not allow hostile forces to enter Syria and jeopardize Israeli security interests, or you will pay a heavy price."
Turkey and Syria
Foreign Minister Gidon Sa'ar, during an official visit to Paris, said Turkey is playing a negative role in Syria, Lebanon, and other regional countries. "They are doing everything to turn Syria into a Turkish protectorate. We opposed the Iranians when they tried to do this, and we oppose the Turkish attempt to do it now," the minister stated.
The Israeli air force reportedly targeted infrastructure and weapons remaining from Assad's army, according to Israeli media.
Turkey has so far remained silent, preferring not to engage in a public confrontation with Israel. However, it is believed that despite Israeli operations, Erdogan’s attempts to establish a foothold in Syria are likely to continue, along with Israeli activity.