Lebanon in the Crosshairs: Israel and Turkey Compete for Influence in the Levant

Reports indicate that the recent Israeli airstrike on the Abu Al Duhur air base in Syria was aimed at countering a Turkish military build-up. Although Turkey has denied such a presence, tensions between the two nations in the Levant are escalating. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has previously defined Turkey's security sphere as extending beyond its borders to include Aleppo, Damascus, and Beirut. Lebanon, due to its geography and internal crises, finds itself at the center of these regional rivalries. Analysts suggest that by razing infrastructure in southern Lebanon and causing mass displacement, Israel aims to weaken Hezbollah and exacerbate sectarian divisions to establish de facto security control over the border region. Conversely, Turkey, fearing that the fragmentation of regional states could trigger its own internal instability, is seeking to bolster the Lebanese Armed Forces. The recent meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Mr. Erdogan in Ankara is viewed in this context. Experts emphasize that for Lebanon to navigate this crisis, it must cooperate with regional actors and maintain balanced foreign relations to avoid becoming a proxy battleground for major powers.