Israel and Syria have reopened lines of communication over security concerns following a recent surge in sectarian violence, which included Israeli military strikes in both Damascus and Syria’s southern Sweida province, Saudi media outlet Al-Hadath reported on Tuesday.
According to the report, the negotiations are being facilitated by Turkey and the United States.
As part of the process, an Israeli delegation is expected to travel to Baku, Azerbaijan, where both parties may finalize key understandings.
Despite the renewed dialogue, Al-Hadath noted that Israel has yet to agree to suspend its operations in Syrian territory.
Instead, it is reportedly insisting on the establishment of a demilitarized zone near the border and a permanent Israeli presence within the buffer area it captured following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December.
Israeli authorities have not issued an official response to the report.
Before the recent airstrikes, Israel and Syria were reportedly engaged in “advanced talks” toward a potential agreement aimed at ending hostilities. The Trump administration had been actively encouraging both sides to normalize diplomatic relations.
Earlier this month, Israel intervened in Syria’s sectarian unrest, siding with the Druze community, a group considered to be loyal to Israel and whose members often serve in the Israeli Defense Forces.
Israel accused forces loyal to Syria’s interim leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, of being involved in a wave of violent attacks by Bedouin tribes against the Druze population in Sweida.
That weeklong conflict came to a pause on Saturday with the announcement of a ceasefire brokered by Washington.
Commenting on the development, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that Trump was “caught off guard” by the Israeli military actions in Syria.
This followed a report by Axios in which unnamed U.S. officials expressed dissatisfaction with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the situation.
They warned that strikes targeting Syrian government forces could endanger the stability of the new administration Washington is backing.
Tom Barrack, the U.S. special envoy to Syria, also voiced disapproval on Monday, saying Israel’s actions were ill-timed and complicated stabilization efforts in the war-torn region.
Historically, Israel and Syria have stood on opposite sides of several major regional conflicts and have engaged in direct warfare.
However, with the ouster of Iran-aligned President Bashar al-Assad in December, the Islamist-led government now in control of Damascus appears keen on projecting a more moderate image to Western powers.
