The Albany Gazette - Syria says Israel talks addressed de-escalation, staying out of Israel-Turkey tensions

The high-level negotiations came after the sides in January agreed to establish an intelligence-sharing mechanism as they edge towards a security agreement.

They also came after Israel bombed the disused Abu Duhur airbase in the country's northwest earlier in the week, claiming it wanted to avert Turkish troops deploying to the facility. Ankara denied any visit to the site.

Syrian state news agency SANA quoted a diplomatic source at the foreign ministry saying "a high-level Syrian delegation headed by the foreign minister and including the general and military intelligence chiefs" met a high-level Israeli delegation "under American mediation and hosted by Jordan".

The meeting was "part of efforts aiming at de-escalation after recent Israeli bombardment of Syrian territory, escalating tensions in southern Syria, and in support of stability in Syria and the region", said the source.

Discussions also addressed "efforts aimed at bringing closer the viewpoints between Turkey and Israel and ensuring the current tension between the two countries are not reflected on Syria territory", the report added.

A diplomatic source and a Syrian government source told AFP that Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani met the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency Roman Gofman.

They discussed issues such as establishing "a special operations room" in Jordan under US supervision to prevent any confrontation in Syria, including involving Turkey, the sources added.

- Negotiations -

US envoy for Syria Tom Barrack had slammed Israel's attack on the airbase on Tuesday as an "unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have traded barbs since the incident, with tensions high between the two leaders.

The Syrian government source told AFP that Sunday's talks were the first between Israel and Syria in some time, while the diplomatic source said they were the first in several months.

SANA said the discussions addressed "establishing practical mechanisms to stop Israeli attacks... and reviving the negotiations process with the aim of reaching a security agreement that could form the basis of a more comprehensive future agreement".

Israel and Syria's new authorities have held several rounds of direct talks, and after negotiations in Paris in January they agreed to establish a dedicated communication cell under US supervision to lower bilateral tensions.

An Arab diplomat in Damascus told AFP at the time that a joint operations room based in Jordan would follow issues including security coordination and border control.

- Southern Syria -

Israel has launched hundreds of strikes on Syria since the December 2024 toppling of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad by Islamist forces it considers jihadists.

It sent troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone that had long separated Israeli and Syrian forces on the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.

Israel has also carried out repeated incursions deeper into Syrian territory and has vowed to keep troops in a so-called "security zone" in southern Syria, where it seeks a broader demilitarised area.

The talks also came a day after Israel struck what it said was a militant in southern Syria. Damascus said one person was wounded in the strike, which it called a "flagrant violation" of its sovereignty.

Israel captured most of the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and later annexed the areas under its control, a move only recognised by the United States and, this month, Colombia.

US President Donald Trump has been pushing for a security deal between Syria and Israel, but Israel remains distrustful of Syria's authorities.

(P.Clark--TAG)