Israeli strikes on Hama and Homs this week come amid an escalation in tensions with Turkey, as both countries seek to gain political leverage from the turmoil in Syria.

According to the source, over ten Israeli attacks on Hama Airport destroyed its runways, control tower, weapons depots, and aircraft hangars. “Israel completely destroyed Hama Airbase to ensure it cannot be used again. This is a systematic effort to dismantle the military capabilities of Syria’s key airbases,” the source asserted.

The air strikes hit Syria, but their real target was Turkey. Shortly afterwards, Israel's foreign minister accused Turkey of playing a "negative role" in Syria, and Israel's defence minister warned Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, that he would "pay a very heavy price" if he allowed "hostile forces" to enter his country.

Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned Israeli airstrikes on Syria, labeling them as violations of international law and a threat to regional stability. The strikes on April 2 targeted Damascus, Hama Airport,

At least nine people in southwestern Syria were killed in Israeli strikes, Syrian state media has reported, while Israel accused Turkey of trying to build a "protectorate" in Syria.

(Reuters) -Israeli airstrikes targeted on Wednesday the airport in the Syrian city of Hama and the vicinity of the scientific research center in the Barzeh neighborhood of the capital Damascus ...

In Hama, a Syrian military source told Reuters a dozen strikes demolished the runways, tower, arms depots and hangars at the military airport. “Israel has completely destroyed Hama air base to ensure it is not used,” the source said.

Israel stepped up airstrikes on Syria, declaring the attacks a warning to the new Islamist rulers in Damascus as it accused their ally Turkey on Thursday of trying to turn the country into a Turkish protectorate.

The official SANA news agency reported that an Israeli airstrike hit near a scientific research building in Barzeh, a suburb of Damascus. The agency reported another Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of Hama in western Syria.