Israel has accused Turkey of trying to turn their common neighbour Syria into a protectorate. In parallel with that accusation, the Israelis late on April 2 stepped up airstrikes on Syria, telling Damascus that it should see the attacks as a warning.

Syria has strongly condemned a fresh wave of Israeli strikes on airbases and other military sites overnight as an "unjustified escalation".The foreign ministry said the attacks almost destroyed Hama airbase and injured dozens of people.

Israel stepped up airstrikes on Syria overnight, 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.