A coalition of nations and international organizations issued widespread condemnations following Israeli airstrikes targeting an abandoned military airfield in northwestern Syria, warning that the repeated incursions violate international law and threaten fragile regional stability.
The strikes by Israeli warplanes targeted the disused Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase, located in northeastern Syria's Idlib. According to Syrian officials, Israeli aircraft launched eight separate strikes on the facility, damaging its runway and striking a derelict structure inside a hangar. No casualties or injuries were immediately reported following the operation.
The attack triggered immediate pushback from Damascus and sparked a wave of diplomatic condemnation across the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and within multilateral institutions.
The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the aerial assault as a brazen infringement upon Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity. In a formal statement, ministry officials noted that Israeli attacks against Syrian territory have continued unabated since Dec. 8, 2024.
Syrian diplomats emphasized that Damascus has consciously pursued a policy of strategic restraint to consolidate domestic stability and prevent broader regional escalation, despite what it characterized as continuous provocations.
Regional condemnations
Syria's neighbors and regional partners also responded with sharp rebukes, calling on the global community to enforce international legal standards against unilateral military actions.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the strikes, criticizing Israel’s ongoing targeting of Syrian infrastructure and national capabilities.
"We call on the international community to display a more decisive stance to ensure an end to Israel's aggression against Syria, which is acquiring a new dimension every passing day, and to ensure accountability in the face of these actions that disregard international law," the ministry said Tuesday.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, denounced the airstrikes as an "unjustified hostile attack" that explicitly breaches international law and violates Syrian sovereignty. Amman called for an immediate cessation of strikes targeting Syria's national security and regional stability.
Cairo’s Foreign Ministry also warned that Israel's persistent violations of Syrian land and airspace risk triggering a dangerous military escalation that could derail broader peace initiatives across the Middle East. Egypt characterized the strikes as a clear violation of both international law and the United Nations Charter.
Member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) issued unified statements condemning the operation and calling for international intervention.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said that it condemned the attack in the "strongest terms," rejecting the targeting of the Abu al-Duhur facility as a despicable violation of Syrian sovereignty. Riyadh urged the international community to hold Israel accountable to international norms.
Qatari diplomats highlighted that Israel’s ability to repeatedly violate the sovereignty of neighboring states with impunity reflects an attempt to impose political realities through military force.
The UAE Foreign Ministry rejected all threats to Syria's territorial security, while Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry warned that the repeated strikes actively undermine regional security frameworks.
GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed al-Budaiwi called for firm, decisive action from global bodies to protect Syrian territory and uphold regional order.
International condemnations
The Arab League, in the meantime, criticized the military action as a politically motivated move. Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy accused Israeli leadership of using provocative military strikes to widen regional conflicts for domestic political and electoral gain at the expense of regional peace.
In South Asia, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs voiced firm solidarity with Syria, describing the airstrikes as a blatant violation of international law that imperils regional stability. Islamabad also urged the global community to hold perpetrators accountable.
At United Nations headquarters in New York, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, addressed the incident during a daily press briefing.
"This is another alarming violation of Syria's territorial integrity and airspace," Dujarric told reporters. "These airstrikes must stop, and we are opposed to them."
US Position
Tom Barrack, the U.S. Ambassador to Ankara and Special Envoy for Syria and Iraq, expressed "deep concern" over the strikes in a statement posted on social media.
Barrack emphasized that Washington remains committed to hosting talks between regional parties to encourage diplomatic solutions over military action.
"(Syrian President Ahmed) al-Shara's government adopted neither an aggressive stance nor harbored proxy forces," Barrack wrote. "On the contrary, it has repeatedly demonstrated its preference for de-escalation with Israel."