Syria May Host ’Israeli’ Liaison Office in US-Backed Move
Syria is tentatively open to "Israel" setting up a liaison office in Damascus, as long as it lacks diplomatic status, a Syrian source close to transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa told "Israeli" news outlet i24NEWS.
The source said Damascus is engaging with a US-backed initiative aimed at deepening Syrian–US relations, which includes the proposed establishment of a joint Syrian–US security and military operations room.
The initiative is presented as part of broader efforts to stabilize southern Syria and dismantle what the source described as “outlaw militias".
If implemented, the presence of an "Israeli" liaison office, absent formal diplomatic recognition, would constitute an unprecedented step in direct relations with the "Israeli" occupation, following decades of Syria's principled stance of rejecting normalization under the previous regime.
According to the same source, "Israel" has urged Washington to delay the finalization of a separate security arrangement between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF] until "Tel Aviv" concludes its own security framework with the Syrian government.
"Israel" is reportedly seeking to enhance its negotiating leverage by exploiting ongoing tensions between Damascus and the SDF, alongside internal unrest in Syria’s southern province of Suwayda.
Following a US-brokered Paris meeting between senior Syrian and "Israeli" officials, discussions—facilitated under President Trump’s auspices—focused on Syria’s sovereignty, "Israeli" "security concerns", and what the statement described as "shared prosperity" for both sides, the State Department said.
Syria and "Israel" agreed in Paris to pursue lasting security and stability, creating a US-supervised joint mechanism for intelligence, de-escalation, diplomacy, and potential commerce.
The joint statement said the mechanism would help resolve disputes quickly, with Washington backing its implementation, reflecting both sides’ intent to "turn a new page" in relations.
The moves follow escalating “Israeli” attacks in southern Syria, including expanded near-daily ground incursions and repeated airstrikes since Assad’s fall in December 2024.
Meanwhile, Syrian officials have made it clear that technical coordination mechanisms cannot substitute for an end to occupation.
A Syrian official told Reuters, "It would not be possible to move forward on 'strategic files' without a clear, binding timeline for 'Israeli' troops to quit Syrian territory." Paris talks proposed suspending "Israeli" operations, but Damascus says this falls short of reversing the creeping occupation.
The "Israeli" occupation did not immediately respond to the Syrian position or to the US proposal.
If implemented, the presence of an "Israeli" liaison office, absent formal diplomatic recognition, would constitute an unprecedented step in direct relations with the "Israeli" occupation, following decades of Syria's principled stance of rejecting normalization under the previous regime.
According to the same source, "Israel" has urged Washington to delay the finalization of a separate security arrangement between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF] until "Tel Aviv" concludes its own security framework with the Syrian government.
"Israel" is reportedly seeking to enhance its negotiating leverage by exploiting ongoing tensions between Damascus and the SDF, alongside internal unrest in Syria’s southern province of Suwayda.
Following a US-brokered Paris meeting between senior Syrian and "Israeli" officials, discussions—facilitated under President Trump’s auspices—focused on Syria’s sovereignty, "Israeli" "security concerns", and what the statement described as "shared prosperity" for both sides, the State Department said.
Syria and "Israel" agreed in Paris to pursue lasting security and stability, creating a US-supervised joint mechanism for intelligence, de-escalation, diplomacy, and potential commerce.
The joint statement said the mechanism would help resolve disputes quickly, with Washington backing its implementation, reflecting both sides’ intent to "turn a new page" in relations.
The moves follow escalating “Israeli” attacks in southern Syria, including expanded near-daily ground incursions and repeated airstrikes since Assad’s fall in December 2024.
Meanwhile, Syrian officials have made it clear that technical coordination mechanisms cannot substitute for an end to occupation.
A Syrian official told Reuters, "It would not be possible to move forward on 'strategic files' without a clear, binding timeline for 'Israeli' troops to quit Syrian territory." Paris talks proposed suspending "Israeli" operations, but Damascus says this falls short of reversing the creeping occupation.
The "Israeli" occupation did not immediately respond to the Syrian position or to the US proposal.
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