CNN
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Israel and the new Syrian regime recently held a direct meeting, according to Israeli sources familiar with the issue. It shows that as Israel expands its military presence within its home, it changes dynamics among its former enemy.
The talks were held in Azerbaijan and attended by General Oded Bashk, the Israeli military’s chief of operations, sources added that Bashk met with representatives of the Syrian government in front of Turkish authorities.
CNN has reached out to the Israeli Defence Forces and the Turkish government for comment.
Interim Syrian Ahmad al-Sharah said last week that his government held indirect talks with Israel to end the attack on his country “we will not reach a point where both sides lose control.”
There was no word from Damascus regarding direct consultations with Israel.
Sources did not disclose the topic of the meeting and no one brokered. Israeli Channel 12 first reported the meeting.
This week, US President Donald Trump met Shala, a former jihadist designated as a terrorist by the United States in 2013. Trump has pledged to remove the crippling sanctions imposed on Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Assad was overthrown in an uprising led by Shara and fled Syria in December.
The White House said it urged Trump to take a series of measures, including normalizing with Israel, banishing foreign and Palestinian “terrorists” and helping the US prevent ISIS from reviving.
Since the collapse of Assad’s regime, Israel has carried out multiple attacks aimed at taking more territory in Syria, preventing the restructuring of military capabilities and eradicating extremists that could threaten their security. Israel’s movement to Syrian territory was initially described as temporary, but since then officials have said the troops will remain indefinitely.
Israel has also declared a buffer zone in southern Syria with the stated purpose of protecting Syrian minorities. It also occupys Golan Heights, which was captured from Syria in the war of 1967 and later annexed.
The US Treasury Department said Thursday it was working on Trump’s direction on Syria sanctions and aimed to implement “critical necessary approvals to bring new investments in Syria.”
In X’s post, he added, “The actions of the Treasury will help rebuild Syrian economy, financial sector and infrastructure, allowing the country to be on the path to a bright, prosperous and stable future.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has made it clear that the US will issue exemptions from Syria sanctions, and for the time being it has not been completely abolished.
“As we progress, hopefully, we will soon or one day go to Congress and ask them to remove the sanctions permanently,” Rubio added in Antarya, Turkey, that the Trump administration hoped the prospect of sanctions, which was ultimately litres every six months, would deter investments.
Israeli officials previously told CNN that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had asked Trump not to remove Syria’s sanctions.
