Latest news with #AsaadAlShaibani
Jordan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Syria says meeting with Israeli officials sought to 'contain escalation'
DAMASCUS — A Syrian diplomatic source said Saturday that a US-mediated meeting with Israeli officials in Paris this week sought to "contain the escalation" after recent sectarian violence in southern Syria prompted Israeli intervention. Israel launched strikes this month on Damascus and Druze-majority Sweida province, saying it was acting both in support of the religious minority and to enforce its demands for a demilitarised southern Syria. The Syrian diplomatic source told state television on Saturday that the recent Paris meeting "brought together a delegation from the foreign ministry and the general intelligence service with the Israeli side", and addressed "recent security developments and attempts to contain the escalation in southern Syria". On Thursday, US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack had said he held talks with unspecified Syrian and Israeli officials in Paris. A senior diplomat had previously told AFP that Barrack would be facilitating talks between Damascus's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer. According to the source cited by state TV, the meeting "addressed the possibility of reactivating the disengagement agreement with international guarantees, while demanding the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from points where they recently advanced". After the overthrow of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, Israel sent troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone that used to separate the countries' forces in the strategic Golan Heights. It has since conducted incursions deeper into southern Syria, demanding the area's total demilitarisation. Damascus had previously confirmed holding indirect contacts with Israel seeking a return to the 1974 disengagement agreement that created the buffer zone. The Paris meeting "did not result in any final agreements but rather represented initial consultations that aimed to reduce tensions and reopen communication channels in light of the ongoing escalation since early December", the diplomatic source said. Toll tops 1,400 More meetings were planned, the source said, adding that the Syrian side had emphasised that the country's unity and sovereignty were non-negotiable. "Sweida and its people are an integral part of the Syrian state," the delegation said, according to the source. The week of clashes in Sweida, which began on July 13, initially involved Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin tribes, but government forces intervened on the side of the latter, according to witnesses, experts and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor. The Observatory said on Saturday that the violence had killed more than 1,400 people, the vast majority in the week between July 13 and a ceasefire last weekend. It said the dead included 928 Druze, 533 of them fighters and 395 civilians, 250 of whom were "summarily executed by defence and interior ministry personnel". The toll also included 428 government security personnel and 43 Sunni Bedouin, three of them civilians who were "summarily executed by Druze fighters", according to the Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria. Another 15 government personnel were killed in Israeli strikes, it added. Syrian and Israeli officials had previously met in Baku on July 12, according to a diplomatic source in Damascus, coinciding with a visit to Azerbaijan by Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The two countries have technically been at war since 1948, and Israel has occupied the Golan Heights, which it seized from Syria, since 1967. After Assad's ouster, Israel carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria to prevent key military assets from falling into the hands of the new Islamist-led administration.
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Syria says meeting with Israeli officials sought to 'contain escalation'
A Syrian diplomatic source said Saturday (July 26) that a US-mediated meeting with Israeli officials in Paris sought to "contain the escalation" after recent sectarian violence in southern Syria prompted Israeli intervention. Israel launched strikes this month on Damascus and Druze-majority Sweida province, saying it was acting both in support of the religious minority and to enforce its demands for a demilitarised southern Syria. The Syrian diplomatic source told state television on Saturday that the Paris meeting "brought together a delegation from the foreign ministry and the general intelligence service with the Israeli side", and addressed "recent security developments and attempts to contain the escalation in southern Syria". Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. On Thursday (July 24), US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack had said he held talks with unspecified Syrian and Israeli officials in Paris. A senior diplomat had previously told AFP that Barrack would be facilitating talks between Damascus's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer. According to the source cited by state TV, the meeting "addressed the possibility of reactivating the disengagement agreement with international guarantees, while demanding the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from points where they recently advanced". After the overthrow of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, Israel sent troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone that used to separate the countries' forces in the strategic Golan Heights. It has since conducted incursions deeper into southern Syria, demanding the area's total demilitarisation. Damascus has previously confirmed holding indirect contacts with Israel seeking a return to the 1974 disengagement agreement that created the buffer zone. The Paris meeting "did not result in any final agreements but rather represented initial consultations that aimed to reduce tensions and reopen communication channels in light of the ongoing escalation since early December", the diplomatic source said. More meetings were planned, the source said, adding that the Syrian side emphasised that the country's unity and sovereignty were non-negotiable. "Sweida and its people are an integral part of the Syrian state," the delegation said, according to the source. Syrian and Israeli officials had previously met in Baku on July 12, according to a diplomatic source in Damascus, coinciding with a visit to Azerbaijan by Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The two countries have technically been at war since 1948, and Israel has occupied the Golan Heights, which it seized from Syria, since 1967. After Assad's ouster, Israel carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria to prevent key military assets from falling into the hands of the new Islamist-led administration.
LBCI
4 days ago
- Politics
- LBCI
At Paris summit, Israel secures 'strategic ground' in Syria — ‘core red lines met'
Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Laetithia Harb Following a summit held in Paris, Israel secured key conditions regarding southern Syria during a meeting that included Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, and U.S. envoy Tom Barrack. The agreement reaffirmed Israeli red lines in the region: maintaining a buffer zone, disarming towns in southern Syria, and preventing Syrian regime forces from entering these areas. The discussions specifically focused on Druze-majority towns, with the stated aim of protecting their security—particularly in Sweida. Israeli officials welcomed the outcome, describing it as meeting Tel Aviv's core demands and safeguarding its interests in Syria. As part of the deal, the dismantling of weapons in Quneitra and Daraa was agreed upon, alongside the formation of local security committees that would operate without heavy arms. The agreement concerning Sweida is considered the most significant. It will unfold in two phases under direct U.S. supervision. The first phase involves the withdrawal of tribal forces and Syrian government troops from Druze villages, a process to be verified by Druze factions. In the second phase, local councils composed of Sweida residents will be established to manage the region's resources and services, as well as monitor the agreement's implementation and document any violations. The deal also bars any organizations affiliated with the Syrian government from entering the area, while granting access to international agencies. While Israeli officials described the agreement as a major achievement, some within the Druze community in Israel criticized it as deepening Israeli involvement in Druze affairs. The Israeli-Syrian border was also included in the agreement. Joint Israeli and Syrian security and technical teams will be tasked with maintaining order along the frontier. Additional meetings may be held if the agreement is successfully implemented and calm returns to the Syrian front, where Israeli influence continues to expand.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel's Dermer to meet Syrian FM, US envoy Barrack in Paris to discuss southern Syria
Dermer will also discuss the upcoming Iranian nuclear negotiations with European officials, ahead of the talks between European nations and Iran that will take place in Istanbul. Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer will meet US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Paris on Thursday to discuss security matters relating to southern Syria, sources told The Jerusalem Post. Following the eruption of fighting between Druze and local Bedouin tribes in the city of Sweida in southern Syria, Israel struck Damascus and government forces operating alongside the Bedouins in an effort to protect the Druze minority in southern Syria. Notably, a US citizen was killed during the clashes between Druze and Bedouin militias in Sweida, the State Department confirmed last week. Dermer will also discuss the upcoming Iranian nuclear negotiations with European officials, ahead of the talks between European nations and Iran, which are scheduled to take place in Istanbul on Friday, sources told the Post. Senior diplomats from France and Germany will hold direct face-to-face talks with Iran since Israel and the United States struck Iran's nuclear facilities in June. US President Donald Trump's lifting of sanctions on Syria and the international community's cautious support of the new regime are at risk due to Syria's current conflict, which has undermined the government's authority, Barrack said on Sunday. Barrack: Sharaa must 'recalibrate his policies' On Tuesday, Barrack urged Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to recalibrate his policies and embrace a more inclusive approach after a new round of sectarian bloodshed earlier in July, or risk losing international support and fragmenting the country. Barrack said he had advised Sharaa in private discussions to revisit elements of the pre-war army structure, scale back Islamist indoctrination, and seek regional security assistance. Solve the daily Crossword
LBCI
5 days ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Syrian, Israeli ministers to attend US-brokered meeting in Paris: Senior diplomat
A meeting between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer is expected to take place in Paris on Thursday, a senior diplomat told AFP. "There will be a Syrian-Israeli security meeting in Paris today, and Tom Barrack will facilitate it," the diplomat said, referring to the U.S. special envoy for Syria. The diplomat added that Shaibani and Dermer, ministers from the two countries technically at war, will meet.
