Israel and Syria hold high-level talks in Paris with US mediation

US Ambassador to Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, announced that talks in Paris between Syrian and Israeli officials resulted in “dialogue and de-escalation.”

In a statement on X, Barrack said, “I met with Syrians and Israelis in Paris this evening. Our goal was dialogue and de-escalation, and we achieved just that. All parties reiterated their commitment to continue these efforts.”

According to Axios, Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and Syrian Foreign Minister Asad al-Shaybani participated in the talks.

At a State Department briefing, Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott confirmed that Barrack and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have been in contact with all parties for days and that diplomatic efforts are ongoing.

Pigott said, “Syria is at a critical juncture, and we expect the Syrian government to take these steps.”

The meeting took place following an escalation of tensions between Syria and Israel. On July 13, clashes broke out in Suwayda between HTS and Bedouin tribes and armed Druze groups, and the conflicts escalated with Israeli airstrikes on military targets in Syria, including Damascus.

Although both sides have held indirect talks in recent months to reduce tensions, and there have been reports of quiet, face-to-face meetings between Syrian and Israeli officials, these reports have not been confirmed by any party.

Officials from Israel and Syria at this level last met in 2000, when then-US President Bill Clinton hosted then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and then-Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara in West Virginia for peace talks.

According to the Saudi channel Al-Hadath, the talks are being mediated by Türkiye and the US, and an Israeli delegation is expected to travel to Baku soon to finalize an agreement with Syria.

However, the report also noted that Israel has not currently committed to halting its attacks in Syria and is demanding a demilitarized zone along the border and a permanent presence in the buffer zone seized by the army following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December.

According to a report in Axios, the Israeli and Turkish governments held talks to prevent military confrontations in Syria after the fall of Assad and established a hotline between the Israel Defense Forces and the Turkish Armed Forces to prevent clashes in Syrian airspace.

During these talks, the head of MİT, Ibrahim Kalın, suggested to Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi that they invite Syrian officials to the meetings. The Israelis accepted this proposal, and Hanegbi met with al-Shaybani several times in Baku.

Meanwhile, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the Suwayda agreement reached between Israel and the HTS administration, mediated by the US, stipulates that the “file” concerning this province will be handed over to the US.

Under the agreement, for which the US is responsible for implementation, all tribal forces and public security forces will withdraw beyond the Druze villages; Druze groups will patrol to clear all villages of tribal forces and the Damascus government; a committee will be established to document violations and submit its reports to the US; Quneitra and Daraa will be demilitarized, and local security committees will be formed from the residents of these areas, provided they do not possess heavy weapons; no organization or institution linked to the Damascus regime will be allowed to enter Suwayda, but UN agencies will have free access.