Mossad chief, Syrian FM discussed Turkish deployments before Israeli strikes, sources say

Israel's Mossad chief Roman Gofman held a phone call with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani last week to discuss Turkey's military presence in Syria, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The call, which reportedly took place on August 14, preceded Israeli airstrikes on a Syrian military airbase in the country's north. This interaction represents one of the highest-level communications between Israel and the Syrian government since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in 2014.

Separately, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had previously claimed that Israel's attacks in Syria were a significant destabilizing factor and a threat to the country's stability. He also condemned Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank. In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar accused Turkey of violating Syrian sovereignty for decades and occupying a portion of its territory, while asserting that Israel's presence was a minimal buffer zone for security purposes. Sa'ar criticized Turkey's military campaigns and its stance on international law.