File image.
The Syrian Arab News Agency confirmed on August 20 that the country’s foreign minister held a rare meeting with an Israeli delegation in the French capital, Paris, a day earlier.
In a statement, the state-run news agency said that Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani met with Israeli officials to discuss “de-escalation and non-interference in Syria’s internal affairs, reaching understandings that support stability in the region, monitoring the ceasefire in al-Suwayda governorate, and reactivating the 1974 agreement.”
“These talks are taking place under United States mediation, as part of diplomatic efforts aimed at enhancing security and stability in Syria and preserving the unity and integrity of its territory,” it added.
Israel announced the end of the 1974 separation of forces agreement with Syria following the fall of the regime of former president Bashar al-Assad last December, and proceeded to invade the buffer zone adjacent to the occupied Golan Heights in the south in the country.
In later months, Syria’s new Islamist-led Interim Government engaged in talks with Israel via the United Arab Emirates and Azerbaijan.
Still, Israel escalated again in July following a government-led attack on Druze in al-Suwayda, going as far as bombing the Syrian capital, Damascus. The intervention, which granted Druze de-facto control over much of the governorate, was justified by Israel’s historic relationship with its own Druze community.
According to Hebrew media reports, the meeting in Paris was attended by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who is a top aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack.
Although this was the first time Syria has acknowledged a meeting of this level with Israeli officials, Dermer and al-Shaibani previously met twice in Paris then the Azerbaijani capital, Baku.
A ceasefire brokered by the U.S. brought the clashes in al-Suwayda to an end. However, the governorate is still besieged by the government, which is only allowing a limited amount of supplies to end every day.
On the same day as the Syrian-Israeli meeting, Barrack met in Paris with the spiritual leader of Druze in Israel Sheikh Muafak Tarif.
“Today I had a warm and informative meeting with Israeli Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif and his team. We discussed the situation in Suwayda and how to bring together the interests of all parties, de-escalate tensions, and build understanding,” the U.S. envoy posted on X.
Reports from Hebrew and Arab media both suggested that the issue of opening a humanitarian corridor linking Israel with al-Suwayda were discussed in both meetings in Paris. Previous reports suggest that the U.S. was working on this.
In recent protests in the city of al-Suwayda and other parts of the governorate, Druze upped their demands, calling for the right to self determination. Some of the protesters waved Israeli flags to thank Israel for intervening on their side during the battle with government forces.
Over 1,700 people were killed in the battle, including over 480 Druze civilians who were executed by government forces and allied Bedouin fighters.
The way the Syrian government has been managing the crisis in al-Suwayda is questionable to say the least. On one hand, Damascus is not engaging in talks with Druze leaders in al-Suwayda, while on the other it appears to be more than willing to work on this internal issue with Israel and the U.S.
At the same time, the government is refusing to lift the siege of al-Suwayda, but appears to be open to open a direct route linking the governorate with Israel.
Damascus clearly prioritizes gaining international legitimacy, over actual state building. And while the government says that it is working for a unified central state, its recent actions suggest that it does not want al-Suwayda to be part of Syria. In the end, it continues to refuse to engage in any meaningful way with Druze or any other minority.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence
NOW hosted at southfront.press
Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.
The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation
Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com
negotiating with the thief who plans to rob your house
that’s no negotiation. that’s collaboration with the enemy.
the stooges of the zionists, namely isis, are preparing to ethnic cleaning the whole region for a greater zion.
but what’s most ridiculous is that the syrians are celebrating their doom.
because they are crazy and want to go to allah.
israel is mobilizing massive amounts of people. now the iranian traitors will finally pay for their betrayal of syria. they don’t need 60,000 reservists just for gaza.
this guy would kill ten iranians for five dollars.
honour ki*lling” | girl ki*lled by her brother in afrin over misdiagnosis by midwife
on aug 20, 2025
share
aleppo province: sohr activists have reported a horrific crime in a village in afrin countryside in northern aleppo, where a young man shot his 20-year-old sister dead in their house.
according to sohr sources, the girl’s mother noticed swelling in her daughter’s abdomen and took her to a traditional midwife to check her. the midwife misdiagnosed the girl and informed the mother that the girl was pregnant. the mother told the girl’s father and brother. in the evening, the brother killed his sister and escaped.
police officers arrived later at the house and took the body to forensic department, where the forensic
medicine’s report confirmed that the reason behind the swelling was hydatid cysts, and that the crime was committed over a mistaken conclusion.the crime brings the cause of “honour killings” to the fore.
residents called for holding every person involved in the death of the girl, including the midwife whose misdiagnosis indirectly led to the crime. on june 4, sohr sources reported that a horrible murder took place in jalma village in efrin countryside
in areas of the “national army”, where a civilian shot his wife dead with his weapon as she was working in agricultural lands, before committing suicide by shooting himself. the reasons behind this crime remain unknown.
https://www.syriahr.com/en/368167/
if our people were that crazy, we would be ashamed.
how many amerikan mulattos shoot jizz in your mouth gay bar yesterday
zelenski 2.0 getting orders from his cousins
americuntistan turkiye israel ==perfect alliance
“damascus clearly prioritizes gaining international legitimacy, over actual state building.”
and they are only internationally legitimate if they bow to israel.
another one bites the dust.
“rare” lmao? there’s nothing rare about their meetings, they meet every week! hts/isis erdoganist savages are pets of netanyahu, always have been, netanyahu put them in control of syria.
now his is officially jewlani.
perhaps date is now set for the invasion of iran. clearly this is war planning .