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IsraelÌýwanted the Assad regime to remain in power since at least 2016, according to Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan, who revealed on Sunday that US officials informed the Turkish government of its preferences in a meeting eight years ago.

Israel's preference for Bashar al-Assad to remain in power stemmed from concerns over Iran's influence in Syria, Fidan explained, adding that it was despite dissatisfaction with the Syrian regime's cooperation with Tehran.

Tel Aviv's stance was reportedly conveyed to Ankara in 2016 by then-US Vice President Joe Biden.

"America informed us that Israel doesn't want [Assad to go]," Fidan said in a televised interview with the pan-ArabÌýAl-Hadath.

"Israel may not have been satisfied with Assad’s behaviour and Iran’s presence on Syrian territory, but it was satisfied with Assad himself," the Turkish minister said.

Prior to his overthrow, Assad had for years allowed the Israeli military to target Iranian military figures and infrastructure on its territory.

Documents leaked this month indicated that Assad had covertly collaborated with the Israelis by sharing intelligence and facilitating strikes against Iran-linked militia.

Israel has mounted an intense bombing campaign across Syria in the wake of Assad’s ouster and has seized territory in the Golan buffer zone. It has destroyed hundreds of Syrian military sites including weapons stockpiles, airfields and its naval fleet in Latakia.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has an arrest warrant against him for war crimes by the International Criminal Court,Ìýhas since pledged to double the Israeli population in the Golan Heights, a territory it has illegally occupied since capturing it in the 1967 war.

Ahmed al-SharaaÌý- also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani - the head of Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) that seized power in Damascus earlier this month said on Saturday that Israel no longer had justification for intervening militarily on Syrian territory.

This came a few days after the HTS-led transitional government condemned Israeli aggression in , calling on it to take "firm and immediate measures" to prevent the attacks.