Israeli refusal to allow safe entry of aid stalls truce talks, Palestinian sources say
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Al Arabiya
29 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
Syrian, Israeli officials to meet in Baku: Diplomatic source in Damascus
A Syrian and an Israeli official are expected to meet in Baku later Saturday on the sidelines of President Ahmed al-Sharaa's visit to Azerbaijan, a diplomatic source in Damascus with knowledge of the issue said. 'There will be a meeting between a Syrian official and an Israeli official on the sidelines of the visit being conducted by [al-Sharaa] in Baku,' said the source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. Israel is a major arms supplier to Azerbaijan and has a significant diplomatic presence in the Caucasus nation which neighbors its arch foe Iran. The diplomatic source stressed that al-Sharaa himself would not attend the Baku meeting, which would focus on 'the recent Israeli military presence in Syria.' After the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, Israel carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria. It also sent troops into the UN-patrolled buffer zone that used to separate the opposing forces on the strategic Golan Heights, from which it has conducted forays deeper into southern Syria. Al-Sharaa has said repeatedly that Syria does not seek conflict with its neighbors, and has instead asked the international community to put pressure on Israel to halt its attacks. His government recently confirmed that it had held indirect contacts with Israel seeking a return to the 1974 disengagement agreement which created the buffer zone. Israel has repeatedly characterized al-Sharaa's government as extremist, in reference to his past links with al-Qaeda. But late last month, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel was interested in striking a peace and normalization agreement with Syria. A Syria government source quoted by state media responded that such talk was 'premature.' But during a visit to Lebanon this week, US special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said: 'The dialogue has started between Syria and Israel.' After meeting al-Sharaa in Riyadh in May, US President Donald Trump told reporters he had expressed hope that Syria would join other Arab states which normalized their relations with Israel. '[al-Sharaa] said yes. But they have a lot of work to do,' Trump said. The Syrian president arrived in Baku earlier Saturday for talks with his counterpart Ilham Aliyev.
Al Arabiya
30 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
Syrian, Israeli officials meet in Baku: Diplomatic source in Damascus
A Syrian and an Israeli official met face to face in Baku Saturday on the sidelines of a visit to Azerbaijan by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a diplomatic source in Damascus said. The meeting marked a major step for the two countries which have been foes for decades, and comes after Israel initially cold-shouldered al-Sharaa's administration because of his past links to al-Qaeda. 'A meeting took place between a Syrian official and an Israeli official on the sidelines of al-Sharaa's visit to Baku,' the source said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. Israel is a major arms supplier to Azerbaijan and has a significant diplomatic presence in the Caucasus nation which neighbors its arch foe Iran. Al-Sharaa himself did not take part in the meeting, which focused on 'the recent Israeli military presence in Syria,' the source added. After the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, Israel carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria to prevent key military assets falling into the hands of the interim administration headed by al-Sharaa. It also sent troops into the UN-patrolled buffer zone that used to separate the opposing forces in the strategic Golan Heights, from which it has conducted forays deeper into southern Syria. Al-Sharaa has said repeatedly that Syria does not seek conflict with its neighbors, and has instead asked the international community to put pressure on Israel to halt its attacks. His government recently confirmed that it had held indirect contacts with Israel seeking a return to the 1974 disengagement agreement which created the buffer zone. Late last month, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel was interested in striking a peace and normalisation agreement with Syria. A Syria government source quoted by state media responded that such talk was 'premature.' But during a visit to Lebanon this week, US special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said: 'The dialogue has started between Syria and Israel.' After meeting al-Sharaa in Riyadh in May, US President Donald Trump told reporters he had expressed hope that Syria would join other Arab states which normalized their relations with Israel. '(Al-Sharaa) said yes. But they have a lot of work to do,' Trump said. During his visit to Baku, al-Sharaa held talks with his counterpart Ilham Aliyev, the two governments said. Azerbaijan announced it would begin exporting gas to Syria via Turkey, a key ally of both governments, a statement from the Azerbaijani presidency said.
Arab News
7 hours ago
- Arab News
UN report sees no active Syrian state links to Al Qaeda
UNITED NATIONS: United Nations sanctions monitors have seen no 'active ties' this year between Al Qaeda and the Islamist group leading Syria's interim government, an unpublished UN report said, a finding that could strengthen an expected US push for removing UN sanctions on Syria. The report, seen by Reuters on Thursday, is likely to be published this month. Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham is Al Qaeda's former branch in Syria but broke ties in 2016. The group, previously known as Al-Nusra Front, led the rebellion that toppled President Bashar Assad in a lightning offensive in December, and HTS leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa became Syria's interim president. The report comes as diplomats expect the United States to seek the removal of UN sanctions on HTS and Sharaa, who has said he wants to build an inclusive Syria with equal rights for all. 'Many tactical-level individuals hold more extreme views than ... Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Khattab, who are generally regarded as more pragmatic than ideological,' the UN report said. It covered the six months to June 22 and relied on contributions and assessments from UN member states. Since May 2014, HTS has been subject to UN sanctions including a global assets freeze and arms embargo. A number of HTS members also face sanctions like a travel ban and asset freeze — including Sharaa, who has been listed since July 2013. The UN monitors wrote in their report to the Security Council: 'Some member states raised concerns that several HTS and aligned members, especially those in tactical roles or integrated into the new Syrian army, remained ideologically tied to Al Qaeda.' US President Donald Trump announced a major US policy shift in May when he said he would lift US sanctions on Syria. He signed an executive order enacting this at the end of June, and Washington revoked its foreign terrorist organization designation of HTS this week. The US said then that revoking the designation was a step toward Trump's vision of a peaceful and unified Syria. The US is 'reviewing our remaining terrorist designations related to HTS and Syria and their placement on the UN sanctions list,' a State Department spokesperson told Reuters. Diplomats, humanitarian organizations and regional analysts have said lifting sanctions would help rebuild Syria's shattered economy, steer the country away from authoritarianism and reduce the appeal of radical groups. Trump and his advisers have argued that doing so would also serve US interests by opening opportunities for American businesses, countering Iranian and Russian influence and potentially limiting the call for US military involvement in the region. OBSTACLES TO US EFFORT But Washington faces diplomatic obstacles to get Security Council backing for removing the sanctions. The US will also need to win support from Russia — which was an ally to Assad — and China for any Syria sanctions relief at the UN, diplomats said. Both are particularly concerned about foreigners who joined HTS during the 13-year war between rebel groups and Assad. The UN experts said there were estimated to be more than 5,000 foreign fighters in Syria. The status of foreign fighters has been one of the most fraught issues hindering Syria's rapprochement with the West. But the US has given its blessing to a plan by Syria's new leaders to integrate foreign fighters into the army. 'China is gravely concerned about such developments. The Syrian interim authorities should earnestly fulfill their counter-terrorism obligations,' China's UN Ambassador Fu Cong told the Security Council last month. He said Syria must combat terrorist organizations including 'the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, also known as the Turkistan Islamic Party.' Uyghur fighters from China and Central Asia are members of the Turkistan Islamic Party. Rights groups accuse Beijing of widespread abuses of the mainly Muslim ethnic minority. Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the Security Council last month that it was essential Syria's 'army and police are staffed exclusively by professional personnel with untainted track records,' an apparent reference to irregular fighters like militants. The UN monitors said some foreign fighters rejected the move to integrate them into the military. 'Defections occurred among those who see Sharaa as a sell-out, raising the risk of internal conflict and making Sharaa a potential target,' the UN experts said.
