Syrian, Israeli officials to meet in Baku: Diplomatic source in Damascus - Region
"There will be a meeting between a Syrian official and an Israeli official on the sidelines of the visit being conducted by Sharaa in Baku," said the source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.
Israel is a major arms supplier to Azerbaijan and has a significant diplomatic presence in the Caucasus nation which neighbours its arch foe Iran.
The diplomatic source stressed that Sharaa himself would not attend the Baku meeting, which would focus on "the recent Israeli military presence in Syria".
After the December overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, Israel launched hundreds of air strikes in Syria, blatantly violating its sovereignty under the pretext of preventing key military assets from falling into the hands of the Islamist-led administration under Sharaa.
It also occupied the UN-patrolled buffer zone that used to separate the opposing forces on the strategic Golan Heights, from which it has conducted forays deeper into southern Syria.
Sharaa has said repeatedly that Syria does not seek conflict with its neighbours, and has instead asked the international community to put pressure on Israel to halt its attacks.
His government recently confirmed that it had held indirect contacts with Israel seeking a return to the 1974 disengagement agreement which created the buffer zone.
Israel has repeatedly characterised Sharaa's government as jihadist, in reference to his past links with Al-Qaeda.
But late last month, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel was interested in striking a peace and normalisation agreement with Syria.
A Syria government source quoted by state media responded that such talk was "premature".
But during a visit to Lebanon this week, US special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said: "The dialogue has started between Syria and Israel".
After meeting Sharaa in Riyadh in May, US President Donald Trump told reporters he had expressed hope that Syria would join other Arab states which normalised their relations with Israel.
"(Sharaa) said yes. But they have a lot of work to do," Trump said.
The Syrian president arrived in Baku earlier Saturday for talks with his counterpart Ilham Aliyev.
Azerbaijan announced it would begin exporting gas to Syria via Turkey, according to a statement from the Azerbaijani presidency.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
Follow us on:
Short link:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mada
an hour ago
- Mada
Israel kills 12 Palestinians waiting for drinking water in central Gaza, including 8 children
Twelve people, including eight children, were killed on Sunday in an Israeli airstrike on a water distribution point in Nuseirat, central Gaza. The attack, one of dozens of airstrikes launched on the same day, represents the latest in a series of blows in which Israel has systematically undermined access to water for Palestinians in the strip, the Gaza Government Media Office said on Monday. Footage from the site shortly after the attack showed a large number of injured from among the crowds that had gathered with gallon containers to fetch water. Civilians could be seen carrying the injured, many of whom were young children, away from the scene. A picture from the targeted site on Monday showed the charred remains of a water tanker truck on a road in northeast Nuseirat. The driver was killed in the airstrike, according to Al Jazeera correspondent Ramy Abu Taima, who said that the tanker was filled with drinking water. Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat published an initial report on Monday announcing the arrival of 'eight martyrs, including six children, and 16 injuries, including seven children, as a result of the Israeli Occupation targeting a water distribution point in the New Camp area.' Gaza's Government Media Office updated the toll of the attack on Monday to twelve people in total. An Israeli military spokesperson, meanwhile, reportedly claimed that the missile with which it targeted a water distribution point had missed its target, which was a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The Israeli Broadcasting Authority quoted the spokesperson as saying that the incident is under review. But over 110 freshwater filling stations have been targeted by Israeli aircraft over the past two years, the Government Media Office said, killing hundreds of civilians as they queue for drinking water. The attacks are part of the 'systematic and deliberate war of deprivation' of people in the Gaza Strip, in which 'water is a collective weapon of war to exterminate the population,'the media office said. Over 700 water wells have also been destroyed, depriving more than one million Palestinians of access to clean water. The Mekorot water supply, the last major source of water supply to the Gaza Strip, has been cut off since January 23, according to the office statement.
Al-Ahram Weekly
an hour ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
French ambassador affirms strong Egypt ties, insists Palestinians must remain on their land - Foreign Affairs
French Ambassador to Cairo Eric Chevalier affirmed the strength of French-Egyptian relations, saying they had reached an 'exceptional' level following President Emmanuel Macron's recent visit to Egypt. The visit, he stated, created a decisive visual moment that resonated with both peoples and saw the signing of several agreements. Among them was a strategic partnership that laid the foundation for expanded cooperation in health, education, transport, and energy. Speaking at the French Embassy's Bastille Day celebration in Cairo, Chevalier said French companies would continue to grow their presence in Egypt and contribute to job creation. As part of the partnership, Egypt will become the first country to host a branch of Gustave Roussy, one of the world's top oncology centres. In education, 40 agreements were signed to strengthen scientific cooperation and increase the number of French schools in Egypt from 60 to 100. In sports, Chevalier noted cooperation between the Egyptian and French football associations to support Egypt's women's U-17 and U-20 teams, part of the embassy's commitment to gender equality and equal opportunity. On Gaza, Chevalier said Egypt and France were fully aligned. He called for an immediate ceasefire and voiced strong support for Egypt's role in ongoing negotiations. He also rejected the latest mechanism for delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, saying it endangered civilians and contradicted international norms. 'We demand the return of the traditional mechanism that respects humanitarian rules through the United Nations (UN) and its agencies,' he said. Chevalier stressed France's support for Egypt's rejection of Palestinian displacement. He stressed that Palestinians must remain on their land and that there is no such thing as a voluntary relocation under current conditions. He reaffirmed that a political solution must include recognition of a Palestinian state, stressing that France is fully determined to achieve these two goals, and its decisions are sovereign. Chevalier also noted that the postponed two-state solution conference—initially scheduled for June at the UN headquarters in New York and co-hosted with Saudi Arabia—would now be held before the end of September, with Egypt and the Arab League playing key roles in preparations. He added that recognizing a Palestinian state does not conflict with Israeli interests, explaining that if both parties want to live in peace, there is no alternative but the two-state solution because it also serves Israel's security interests. Chevalier announced that classics of French literature would be available in local bookstores at symbolic prices starting in September. Higher Education Minister Dr Ayman Ashour, who attended the event, welcomed France's growing scientific cooperation with Egypt. The ceremony opened with the national anthems of both countries and a performance by singer Shahd Al-Saadani, who sang a selection of classic French songs. A slew of Egyptian and foreign diplomats, ministers, artists, and media figures atteneded the event. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
an hour ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Syria government forces take over Druze village in south: AFP - Region
Syrian government forces were advancing toward the southern city of Sweida on Monday after taking control of a Druze village nearby, an AFP correspondent said, on the second day of secterian clashes there. Security forces were deployed in Sweida province following clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes that killed at least 89 people since Sunday. The AFP correspondent saw forces under the Syrian defence ministry deployed in Al-Mazraa village, where Bedouin fighters were also located. The forces continued to advance in the direction of Sweida city. A commander, Ezzeddine al-Shamayer, told AFP the forces "are heading toward Sweida". Druze spiritual leaders called for calm and urged Damascus to intervene. The Israeli army said on Monday that it struck several tanks between the villages of Al-Mazraa and Sami that were heading to Sweida. It claimed that it would not allow the establishment of what it claimed as a "military threat in southern Syria and will operate against it". Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz claimed the Israeli new attack on Syria aimed at preventing the army from reaching the village. The Israeli strikes were "a message and a clear warning to the Syrian regime -- we will not allow harm to be done to the Druze in Syria. Israel will not stand idly by," he wrote on X. The fighting underscores the challenges facing interim Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, whose Islamist forces ousted president Bashar al-Assad in December. The latest fighting, which began Sunday, continued sporadically into Monday in several villages, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor and the Suwayda 24 news outlet. The clashes reportedly erupted when a Druze vegetable vendor was seized by armed Bedouins on the main highway linking Sweida to Damascus. The incident triggered a series of retaliatory abductions by both sides. Syria's defence and interior ministries announced the deployment of military units to the affected areas, the establishment of safe corridors for civilians, and a commitment to "end the clashes quickly and decisively". Bedouin and Druze factions have a longstanding feud in Sweida, and violence occasionally erupts between the two. A surge in violence in March targeting the Alawite community -- with more than 1,700 killed -- and the subsequent attacks on Druze areas have undermined confidence in the new Syrian authorities' ability to protect minorities. Israel -- which has occupied part of Syria's Golan Heights since 1967 -- cited the protection of the Druze to justify several strikes, including one in early May near the presidential palace in Damascus. Since the ouster of Assad, Israel has carried out numerous strikes in Syria, destroying much of the country's military infrastructure and arsenal. It has also deployed troops into the United Nations-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights, further occupying parts of Syrian land. * This story was edited by Ahram Online. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
