Israel denies claim that Syria's Sharaa met top Israeli official Tzachi Hanegbi in Abu Dhabi
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa reportedly met Israel's National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates on Monday, independent Syrian outlet Al-Jumhuriya reported on Tuesday.
Sources told the outlet that, allegedly, this was not "the first such meeting" to take place.
Israel issued a statement denying the claim, noting that Hanegbi is in Washington as part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's delegation visiting the US.
In June, The Jerusalem Post reported that Israel and Syria were continuing security discussions that could lead to a peace agreement between the two nations. However, a significant challenge has emerged in the talks, two sources familiar with the details reported to the Post.
Al-Sharaa's administration has made it clear that under any agreement, Israel will not be permitted to operate or strike targets within Syrian territory. Israel, on the other hand, insists on retaining the ability to address security threats, particularly in scenarios where, as demanded by the Damascus administration, Israel withdraws from the buffer zones.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump's administration revoked the foreign terrorist organization designation for Syria's Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) on Monday, in a move that aims to help the country rebuild following years of civil war.
The decision was made as Trump's executive order of terminating the US sanctions program on Syria comes into effect, a move that aims to end the country's isolation from the international financial system.
Syria's foreign ministry told Reuters that the lifting of sanctions on HTS was a "positive step toward correcting a course that previously hindered constructive engagement."
The written statement said Syria hoped the move would "contribute to the removal of remaining restrictions that continue to impact Syrian institutions and officials, and open the door to a rational, sovereign-based approach to international cooperation."
The ministry also said that Sharaa was planning to attend the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in September. The UN Security Council still has sanctions on both HTS and Sharaa himself, which require a Council decision to remove.
Amichai Stein and Reuters contributed to this report.
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