US Envoy presses Israel on Lebanon and Syria
Shafaq News – Middle East
US Envoy Tom Barrack arrived in Israel on Sunday for talks focused on Lebanon and Syria, officials told Axios.
Barrack met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to convey Washington’s request that Israel scale back military activity in Lebanon and continue US-led negotiations with Syria.
He also held separate meetings with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, and Defense Minister Israel Katz.
His visit comes amid ongoing Israeli patrols and raids in rural Damascus, Quneitra, and Daraa—moves viewed as violations of the 1974 disengagement agreement and UN sovereignty resolutions.
Although a ceasefire with Lebanon has been in place since November 27, 2024, the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL has documented 4,812 Israeli violations, with more than 235 people killed and over 480 wounded, including women and children. Israel continues to occupy five outposts in southern Lebanon and conduct airstrikes that Lebanese officials denounce as breaches of national sovereignty.
