Behind closed doors: Secret Syria-Israel contacts hint at peace push
Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Mariella Succar
Israeli officials have not ruled out the possibility that a surprise tied to U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to the region could involve significant progress toward agreements between Syria and Israel.
This comes amid rapidly evolving developments on a front that remains tense. While reports have surfaced about close associates of the Syrian government secretly visiting Israel to reach an understanding that would ensure the security of the area, a well-informed source said the two countries are moving toward a peace agreement.
However, Israeli officials have downplayed the likelihood of an agreement with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, saying that talks with him would not guarantee Israel's security requirements along the front.
Instead, they have called for negotiations and agreements to be limited to Washington, with Israel working to prevent Iranian entrenchment in the region.
Meanwhile, a third meeting between Israeli and Turkish officials is taking place in Azerbaijan, aimed at establishing a military mechanism to avoid friction between the two countries' forces on Syrian soil.
Israel reportedly views the establishment of Turkish military bases in the Palmyra region as a red line and has raised two key demands: that no army forces posing a threat to Israel be stationed near the Syrian border or in buffer zones where the Israeli army is deployed, and that no strategic weapons capable of being used against Israel be allowed on Syrian territory.
On the ground, the Israeli military is reorganizing its deployment in Syria.
For the first time, Israeli Border Police units have entered buffer zones established by Israel.
At the same time, work has begun on setting up a field medical facility in the town of Hader to provide direct treatment to wounded Druze fighters, instead of transferring them to Israel.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LBCI
2 hours ago
- LBCI
Trump says Elon Musk has 'lost his mind' as feud fallout mounts
U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that Elon Musk had "lost his mind" but insisted he wanted to move on from the fiery split with his billionaire former ally. The blistering public break-up between the world's richest person and the world's most powerful is fraught with political and economic risks all around. Trump had scrapped the idea of a call with Musk and was even thinking of ditching the red Tesla he bought at the height of their bromance, White House officials told AFP. "Honestly I've been so busy working on China, working on Russia, working on Iran... I'm not thinking about Elon Musk; I just wish him well," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to his New Jersey golf club late Friday. Earlier, Trump told U.S. broadcasters that he now wanted to focus instead on passing his "big, beautiful" mega-bill before Congress -- Musk's harsh criticism of which had sparked their break-up. But the 78-year-old Republican could not stop himself from taking aim at his South African-born friend-turned-enemy. "You mean the man who has lost his mind?" Trump said in a call with ABC, when asked about Musk, adding that he was "not particularly" interested in talking to the tycoon. Trump later told Fox News that Musk had "lost it." Just a week ago, Trump gave Musk a glowing send-off as he left his cost-cutting role at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after four months working there. While there had been reports of tensions, the sheer speed at which their relationship imploded stunned Washington. After Musk called Trump's spending bill an "abomination" on Tuesday, Trump hit back in an Oval Office diatribe on Thursday in which he said he was "very disappointed" by the entrepreneur. Trump's spending bill faces a difficult path through Congress as it will raise the U.S. deficit, while critics say it will cut health care for millions of the poorest Americans. The row then went nuclear, with Musk slinging insults at Trump and accusing him without evidence of being in government files on disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump hit back with the power of the U.S. government behind him, saying he could cancel the Space X boss's multi-billion-dollar rocket and satellite contracts. Trump struck a milder tone late Friday when asked how seriously he is considering cutting Musk's contracts. "It's a lot of money, it's a lot of subsidy, so we'll take a look -- only if it's fair. Only if it's to be fair for him and the country," he said. Musk apparently also tried to de-escalate social media hostilities. The right-wing tech baron rowed back on a threat to scrap his company's Dragon spacecraft -- vital for ferrying NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station. And on Friday, the usually garrulous poster kept a low social media profile on his X social network. But the White House denied reports that they would talk. "The president does not intend to speak to Musk today," a senior White House official told AFP. A second official said Musk had requested a call. AFP
LBCI
5 hours ago
- LBCI
Samir Geagea slams Beirut strikes as 'scandal,' urges end to chaos and real statehood
The head of the Lebanese Forces party, Samir Geagea, said the recent events in Beirut were a 'major scandal,' condemning the repeated strikes following the ceasefire agreement signed in November 2024. He mocked those who merely blamed Israel, saying: 'If Israel is acting recklessly, then it's your responsibility to act in a way that prevents it from doing so.' Geagea stressed that the solution lies in a 'clear regional and international framework,' adding: 'We must put an end to this chaos.' He said Lebanon has a historic opportunity for external support, provided that the state is no longer undermined and becomes a functioning, sovereign authority. He also strongly criticized what he called those 'obsessed' with Israel, saying that constant resistance against the enemy is no longer effective, and called for practical alternative solutions. He cited Syria and its president Ahmed al-Sharaa as an example, saying al-Sharaa was able to secure his country's eastern border within months, while Lebanon still struggles to build the foundation of a real state — despite potential Gulf and international support. Geagea warned that continuing with the current path would lead to Lebanon 'falling out of history,' stressing that 'nations that do not govern themselves properly eventually disappear.' He called for a continued struggle to preserve Lebanon's identity and existence.
LBCI
5 hours ago
- LBCI
Israel admits to supporting anti-Hamas armed group in Gaza
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that Israel is supporting an armed group in Gaza that opposes the militant group Hamas, following comments by a former minister that Israel had transferred weapons to it. Israeli and Palestinian media have reported that the group Israel has been working with is part of a local Bedouin tribe led by Yasser Abu Shabab. The European Council on Foreign Relations (EFCR) think tank describes Abu Shabab as the leader of a 'criminal gang operating in the Rafah area that is widely accused of looting aid trucks.' AFP
