In a significant diplomatic development, senior ministers from Syria and Israel will meet in Baku on Thursday to discuss the escalating security situation in southern Syria, a diplomat told AFP. The talks follow a previous meeting held last week in Paris between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Israel’s Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer.
The meeting comes amid rising tensions in the Druze-majority Sweida province, where deadly clashes earlier this month left over 1,400 people dead. The violence initially involved local Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin tribes but soon drew in Syrian government forces and prompted Israeli strikes in Damascus, targeting the presidential palace and army headquarters. Israel has claimed it intervened to protect the Druze community.
This new round of talks is considered sensitive, and the diplomat, who requested anonymity, revealed that the ministers will focus on managing the fallout from the Sweida conflict and broader security concerns in the region. It marks one of the few high-level, direct contacts between the two nations, who have technically remained at war since 1948.
Notably, the Baku meeting will follow an unprecedented trip by Minister Shaibani to Moscow, where he is expected to discuss the status of Russian military bases in Syria. Russia, once the strongest ally of former President Bashar al-Assad—who was ousted in December—seeks to maintain operations at its Tartus naval base and Hmeimim airbase.
While Damascus has admitted to holding indirect talks with Israel in recent months, Thursday’s discussions suggest a potential shift toward more open communication. With U.S.-brokered ceasefires already in effect since mid-July, the Baku meeting may signal a cautious step toward de-escalation in one of the region’s most volatile flashpoints.