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There is "serious concern" that a military conflict could break out between Israel and Türkiye within Syria, former Egyptian Ambassador Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy said, warning that both countries' military establishments are taking the possibility "very seriously."
"There is serious concern that a conflict could break out between Israel and Türkiye inside Syria. Military institutions in Ankara and Tel Aviv are treating this possibility with great seriousness," Ramzy told Egypt's Al Kahera Wal Nas channel in an interview on Tuesday.
The former senior Egyptian diplomat said the high tension "is no longer limited to diplomatic rhetoric, it is now reflected in military planning."
Ramzy said Israel has set red lines for Türkiye's actions in Syria and conveyed this message to Ankara: "If Türkiye provides support to Syrians, certain types of weapons must be prohibited from entering the region. If any of these weapons are seen on the ground, Tel Aviv will use its authority to destroy them."
"The assessment indicates that Israel now views Türkiye not merely as a diplomatic actor but as one of the decisive forces on the ground," according to Maariv.
Ramzy later emphasized that as tensions rise in the Middle East, conflict becomes more likely, saying, "Today, the possibility of a military clash inside Syria exists. However, this would not be in the interest of Syria, Israel or Türkiye."
Ramzy described Israel's current posture: "Israel is setting red lines for Türkiye and has the power to enforce them. It does not want a direct conflict, but if necessary, it would not hesitate to enter one."
The former ambassador stated that Türkiye's main sensitivity is Israel's growing influence over Syria's internal balances.
"From Ankara's perspective, this has become a direct security issue. Israel's potential influence inside Syria directly affects Türkiye's sphere of influence," Ramzy said.
Despite the good relations between U.S. President Donald Trump and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ramzy claimed that the United States would ultimately side with Israel.
"Based on my own experience, I am saying: If war breaks out, the U.S. will stand behind Israel," Ramzy said.
"There are points where the U.S. and Israel think differently, even on Gaza. When it comes to Türkiye, this distinction is much more pronounced," he added.
In a separate interview with Israel's Radio North 104.5FM, former Israeli Ambassador to Türkiye Alon Liel claimed that Israeli messages to Ankara are not deterring but rather pushing Türkiye toward military preparations.
"There is a feeling here that we are deterring everyone—Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas and now Türkiye—but in practice, this is pushing the Turks to upgrade their air defense systems and air force," Liel said.
Liel warned of possible military deterioration, particularly in Syria. He noted that Israel sees itself as influential in southern Syria while Türkiye operates in the north, and the absence of arrangements could lead to violent friction between the armies.
"Such a scenario could also expand to the Gaza arena," Liel said, adding that "someone will have to enter Gaza and disarm Hamas, and I don't see many volunteers."
Liel noted that Israel is working to block Turkish involvement in a future international force in Gaza and that Israeli opposition has already influenced the Americans, Türkiye was not invited to the Qatar conference on the issue.
"We have had seven fronts in two years and two months. God forbid we open an eighth front now," Liel concluded.
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