US to mediate rare direct talks between Israel and Syria on Thursday
Shafaq News – Damascus
The United States, Israel, and Syria will convene a rare high-level meeting on July 24 to discuss new security arrangements in southern Syria, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing a US official and a source familiar with the talks.
This would mark the first direct engagement between the three sides since Israeli airstrikes targeted Damascus and clashes erupted in Suwayda.
US Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, is reportedly expected to lead the negotiations alongside senior Israeli and Syrian officials, aiming to create mechanisms “to prevent crises between the countries.”
“There is relative calm now, but the fundamental issues will not be resolved without comprehensive agreements between the U.S., Israel and the Syrian government,” a senior Israeli official told Axios.
While the meeting location remains undisclosed, previous indirect contacts reportedly occurred in Baku, where Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi met Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani.
