Syria and Israel hold indirect talks, President Sharaa confirms during first Europe visit

Syria’s new government and Israel are currently involved in indirect talks, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa confirmed in a press conference in France on Wednesday, as the former wanted terrorist was received on his first official visit in Europe.

“There are indirect talks through mediators to calm down the situation so that they don’t get out of control,” al-Sharaa said after a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron, confirming earlier reports by Reuters.

“We hope to talk to all countries in contact with the Israelis to put pressure on the Israelis to stop interfering in Syrian affairs, violating airspace and bombing our installations,” al-Sharaa said.

Immediately after al-Sharaa’s terror group, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), expelled the Assad regime at the end of last year, Israel vowed to protect Syria’s Druze community.

Amid deadly clashes between Islamist militias and Druze last week, Israel conducted several airstrikes to deter further attacks on Druze towns.

Macron also condemned the strikes, calling them a “bad practice,” and adding that al-Sharaa told him he was ready to hold “technical discussions” with Israel.

Apart from destroying nearly every piece of heavy military equipment in Syria, Israel has embarked on a diplomatic campaign against the new Syrian government, aiming to deny it international legitimacy.

However, al-Sharaa has quickly achieved a measure of regional recognition and cooperation, and after a successful first visit to Europe and positive signs from the U.S., it seems Israel’s campaign will not bear fruit.

According to Reuters, al-Sharaa managed to assuage Emirati concerns in a long meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan last month, which led to the creation of a backchannel with Israel.

The contacts reportedly focus on issues connected to security and intelligence, and not on possible diplomatic contacts or peace agreements.

At the moment, the negotiations aim to build confidence and establish communication channels; however, Reuters cited a Syrian security source saying that there was no limit to what may eventually be discussed.

Syrian and Israeli representatives declined to comment on the report, while a UAE spokeswoman “categorically” denied it.

The most pressing matter for the Syrian government is the financial crisis, which is exacerbated by sanctions left over from the Assad regime.

On Thursday, Syria’s finance minister stated that Qatar had agreed to send Syria $29 million monthly over three months, enabling the government to pay salaries.

The EU lifted some sanctions in February, and Macron said he will work to convince European countries to lift more of them by June 1.

“We will actively work with them to lift their doubts, while remaining in touch with the President and his team to respond to legitimate questions,” Macron said.

The French President also acknowledged the security concerns over Islamist militias remaining in Syria and said it would be necessary to have a “demanding dialogue” with countries that shared those concerns.

Al-Sharaa was an internationally wanted terrorist until a few months ago, with long-standing ties to al-Qaeda and ISIS.

His HTS organization included several Jihadist terror groups, some of which have not yet been integrated into the new state security apparatus, and have taken part in sectarian killings in recent months.

Macron said he had told the Syrian president that recent incidents of mass killings were “unacceptable,” adding that al-Sharaa “must do everything to assure the protection of all Syrians without exception” and to punish those responsible.

However, Macron added, “Let us have the humility to look at the pages of our own history, after wars of a few years or revolutions of a few others, how long it took us to recover.”

Al-Sharaa vowed to bring to justice the perpetrators of recent clashes, including the mass killing of civilians on the Alawite coast and the deadly clashes in the Druze regions of southern Syria.

“The government is committed to ensure that anyone who has killed a civilian, who has attacked a person or who has attacked someone's property is judged under the law regardless of their affiliation, whether it's those who claim to be dependent on the state or the remnants of the old regime,” al-Sharaa vowed.