Both Israel and Turkey have pursued competing influence in post-Assad Syria through military positioning and diplomatic engagement without crossing into direct confrontation. Israel’s August 2026 strikes on the Abu al-Duhur airbase aimed to block potential Turkish deployments there, prompting Turkish criticism at the UN and calls for Israeli withdrawal from Syrian territory, yet Ankara responded with restraint and continued technical deconfliction efforts. U.S. mediation, including new communication channels involving Washington, has further reduced escalation risks. With Israeli elections scheduled for late October and both governments publicly signaling aversion to open conflict, traders see limited scope for a bilateral military clash in the narrow window remaining before 2027.