Hebrew Media: Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa Held Direct Meeting with Israeli Officials in Baku - Jordan News

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Hebrew Media: Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa Held Direct Meeting with Israeli Officials in Baku Israeli news outlet i24NEWS reported, citing a well-informed Syrian source, that Syria's transitional president Ahmed Al-Sharaa participated in at least one direct meeting with Israeli officials on Saturday in Baku, Azerbaijan. The report contradicts official Syrian media claims that Al-Sharaa had no contact with the Israeli side. اضافة اعلان The source, described as close to President Al-Sharaa, stated that the meeting was part of two or three rounds of talks, attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shibani and government security coordination official Ahmed Al-Dallati. The Israeli delegation reportedly included a special envoy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, alongside high-ranking military and security officials. According to the source, the talks explored a potential security agreement addressing: Iranian military presence in Syria and Lebanon Hezbollah's armament Palestinian factions Refugee camps in Lebanon The future of Palestinian refugees from Gaza The possibility of establishing an Israeli coordination office in Damascus—non-diplomatic in nature The choice of Azerbaijan as the meeting location was seen as a political signal to Iran, amid increasing tensions between Tehran and Damascus in recent weeks. Official Syrian Denial Despite the media reports, Syrian state newspaper Al-Watan cited official sources denying any meetings between Al-Sharaa and Israeli representatives. The sources insisted the discussions in Baku fall within a "de-escalation strategy", not normalization, and said "talks of a peace agreement are premature." Meanwhile, Israeli broadcaster KAN confirmed a direct meeting occurred Saturday in Baku, with Syrian demands focused on an Israeli military withdrawal from southern Syria and other coordination matters. KAN also noted a potential upcoming meeting between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shibani and Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa'ar in Brussels, hosted by the European Union, although no confirmation has been made regarding a separate bilateral session. Background and Strategic Goals A diplomatic source in Damascus indicated the talks primarily focus on Israel's expanded military presence in southern Syria, a result of developments following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime over seven months ago. President Al-Sharaa had previously acknowledged in May that his government was holding indirect talks with Israel through intermediaries to prevent further escalation and loss of control. These statements were echoed by Israeli outlets such as Channel 12 and Haaretz, which referenced direct meetings held in Baku, some involving Turkish officials. Azerbaijan has increasingly emerged as a neutral diplomatic platform due to its close ties with Israel and political coordination with Turkey, making it a central player in undisclosed regional negotiations on Syria. In recent months, President Al-Sharaa met with former U.S. President Donald Trump in Riyadh, leading to the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Damascus. He also expressed openness to regional stabilization initiatives during a joint conference with French President Emmanuel Macron. — (Agencies)