An Israeli soldier walks past tanks deployed near the Israeli-Syrian border, on the Golan Heights occupied by Israel, on Dec. 8, 2024. (Credit: Jalaa Marey/AFP)
Officials from the Syrian interim government and the Israeli state recently held direct discussions in Azerbaijan, according to an Israeli source close to the matter, cited by American news network CNN. This information had been reported on Saturday by the Israeli media Channel 12.
Among the Israeli officials who were reportedly present during these talks was the head of the army’s operations division, Oded Basyuk, according to the source cited by CNN on Friday. The military official also reportedly met with Turkish officials.
When questioned by the network, the Israeli army stated that none of its officials had held direct talks with Syrian representatives but did not comment on the alleged talks in Azerbaijan. These developments come a few days after Syrian interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa confirmed that indirect negotiations had taken place between the two countries, mediated by the United Arab Emirates according to some reports. The framework of the talks would include mutual recognition of Israel and Syria’s sovereignty, the establishment of formal diplomatic relations and the formal end of hostilities, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.
Following his surprise announcement regarding the lifting of U.S. sanctions against Syria, Donald Trump asked Ahmad al-Sharaa to normalize relations with Israel by joining the Abraham Accords. However, this demand is expected to be addressed once Syria stabilizes, as reconstruction efforts are underway, the U.S. president suggested. "I told him [to normalize relations with Israel] once he has sorted out the situation," he said on Wednesday. For his part, the Syrian interim president recently reaffirmed his commitment to maintaining the 1974 disengagement agreement between Israel and his country, which was violated by the Israeli state following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.
