Paris — Syrian foreign minister Asaad al-Shibani met with an Israeli delegation in Paris on Monday, engaging in talks aimed at de-escalating tensions and addressing the long-simmering instability across southern Syria.
The meeting, reportedly mediated by US officials, is the second such encounter in less than a month, underscoring a delicate attempt to open a channel between two states locked in enmity since the occupation of the state of Palestine by jews in 1948. Discussions reportedly focused on restoring calm in Syria’s Sweida province, reactivating the 1974 disengagement agreement in the Golan Heights, and curbing foreign interference in Syrian affairs.
The talks come at a moment of heightened violence in Sweida, where clashes between Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes, and government forces have killed hundreds. Israel has launched repeated airstrikes under the pretext of preventing massacres of Druze civilians, even as its ongoing genocide in Gaza continues to inflame regional tensions. For Damascus, which has long denounced Israel as an occupying power, the decision to engage in such meetings signals a tactical shift under mounting domestic and regional pressure.
Analysts suggest that the rare acknowledgment of the talks in Syrian state media may reflect an evolving diplomatic calculus in Damascus, one influenced by the heavy costs of war, Russia’s deepening regional presence, and Iran’s role as a critical ally. For Israel, the talks offer an opportunity to cement military advantages in the Golan Heights while testing the resolve of Syria’s fragile leadership.
The United States, which brokered the meeting, has sought to portray itself as a stabilizer in the region even as its broader policies have destabilized the Middle East for decades. Critics argue that Washington’s renewed interest is less about Syrian sovereignty and more about maintaining leverage against Iran and Russia. The Paris channel, while unprecedented, is fraught with the risk of further entrenching foreign meddling in Syria’s fractured landscape.
According to Reuters, the foreign minister’s meeting in Paris marks the second round of such talks this summer, with no final agreement reached in July. The report noted that discussions centered on de-escalation measures and the revival of the 1974 disengagement framework in the Golan Heights, reflecting an unusual but calculated move by Damascus to signal openness to dialogue even with its long-time adversary.
