IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir warned that Israel would act to prevent the emergence of a significant military threat from Turkey along Israel's borders.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the IDF struck a Syrian military base after Jerusalem had given Damascus several warnings about Turkey's military presence in the country. In his first comments since Israel struck Syria on Tuesday, Netanyahu wrote in a Wednesday post on X/Twitter that Israel "made the message clear: Don't."
"We will not tolerate a Turkish military entrenchment in Syria that threatens Israel," he said. "Apparently, they didn't hear it clearly enough, so we made sure they understood it better."
On Tuesday, the IDF struck the Abu al-Duhur military airfield in Syria's Idlib. The Prime Minister's Office said that Syria was on the verge of breaching a status quo in security matters by allowing Turkish troops on the ground.
"Israel repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would pose a threat to Israel's security. Syria chose to ignore these warnings," the PMO said in a statement.
"Israel will not tolerate threats to its security, and would welcome a return to the status quo."
Notably, it was not reported exactly when the reported Turkish visit took place, the extent of Turkish assistance, or whether work had already begun.
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir conducted a visit with troops in Syria on August 19, 2026. (Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir warned during a visit to southern Syria on Wednesday that Israel would not allow hostile forces to establish themselves along its borders and would use its military power wherever and whenever necessary.
During the visit, Zamir held an operational situational assessment and toured southern Syria. As part of the tour, he spoke with reserve soldiers operating in the area and expressed his appreciation for their service and operational activity in the sector.
"We are operating in a multi-front reality in which the challenges are constantly changing and developing, and the Syrian arena is one of them," Zamir said.
"We see what is happening and are monitoring the changes on the Syrian front, and we must prepare accordingly. We will not allow hostile forces to establish themselves on our borders, and we will know how to use our power precisely where and when it is needed.
"We must prevent the development of terrorist threats while at the same time preventing the emergence of a significant military threat on our borders. In Syria as well, we have created a forward defensive area that serves as a buffer in front of the communities, where our troops operate.
"We are still in a multi-front war, remaining alert and operating across all arenas. Escalation could develop in any one of them, and we must remain constantly prepared.
"The division is doing excellent work. I want to express my appreciation for the reserve troops here. I met a high-quality, professional reserve battalion here, reservists who have served hundreds of days since the beginning of the war.
"You were called up for an extended period. I know the heavy burden on your shoulders; I appreciate what you are doing, and I am working hard to ease the burden on you and your families. The entire people of Israel owe you a great deal."
Idan Kweller contributed to this report.