Paris, France — Syria’s foreign minister held a rare direct meeting with an Israeli delegation in Paris on Tuesday, in talks brokered by the United States as part of Washington’s renewed push for the two countries to normalize relations despite soaring regional tensions.
Syria’s state-run SANA news agency reported that Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani met Israeli officials to discuss de-escalation measures and ways to restore the 1974 disengagement agreement, which created a demilitarized buffer zone between the two nations and placed U.N. peacekeepers to maintain calm.
The Syrian statement offered no details on the outcome of the talks. However, a senior Trump administration official confirmed the meeting, telling the Associated Press:
“The United States continues to support any efforts that will bring lasting stability and peace between Israel and its neighbors… This is consistent with President Trump’s vision of a prosperous Middle East, including a stable Syria at peace with itself and with Israel.”
A fragile backdrop
The Paris meeting marks the first acknowledged direct negotiations between Damascus and Tel Aviv. Previous contacts were held indirectly through mediators. Israel has not yet confirmed the talks.
Tensions between the neighbors have intensified since the December overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad, after which Israeli forces expanded control over parts of the U.N.-patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria and carried out airstrikes near Damascus.
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According to SANA, Tuesday’s talks focused on:
- Reactivating the 1974 ceasefire accord
- Monitoring ceasefire compliance in Sweida Governorate
- Preventing foreign interference in Syrian domestic affairs
- Establishing frameworks for regional stability
The meeting followed earlier diplomatic efforts. On August 12, al-Shaibani met U.S. special envoy Thomas Barrack and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Amman, where they agreed to set up a Syrian-Jordanian-U.S. working group to support ceasefire consolidation in Sweida and broader stabilization efforts.
Looking ahead
Analysts say the Paris talks, if sustained, could lay the groundwork for a new phase in Middle East diplomacy, though skepticism remains high given the volatile post-Assad landscape and Israel’s expanded military posture in southern Syria.
For now, the discussions represent a tentative first step toward bridging decades of hostilities between Damascus and Tel Aviv — with Washington playing a central role in pushing the process forward.
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