'Axios': Al-Shaybani met with the head of 'Mossad' to discuss de-escalation between Syria and Israel
Axios reported on Sunday that Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani met with Israeli Mossad chief Romi Gofman, as part of efforts to de-escalate tensions between Syria and Israel, following an Israeli airstrike on the Abu al-Dhaher air base in northwestern Syria.
Axios cited informed sources stating that senior Syrian and Israeli officials held a meeting in an attempt to contain the escalation that followed the strike.
Meanwhile, the French Press Agency (AFP) quoted a diplomatic source and another source within the Syrian government, both of whom requested anonymity, confirming that Shibani and Gofman discussed issues including the establishment of a US-supervised operations room aimed at preventing any confrontation between Syria and Israel, or between Israel and Turkey, on Syrian soil.
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In a related development, Shibani told Reuters in an interview that he expected negotiations with Israel to resume soon regarding a security agreement that Damascus hopes will lead to an end to Israeli attacks and an Israeli withdrawal from Syrian territory.
Shibani said negotiations were frozen after the outbreak of the Iran-Israel war, expressing hope that they would resume in the near future to complete the talks.
He confirmed that communications were severed after the latest Israeli strike on the Abu al-Dhaher air base, stating, “We currently do not trust Israel,” while emphasizing the necessity of maintaining contact with any entity threatening Syria’s security. He warned that such communication loses its value if it does not yield results.
Shibani urged Israel to seize what he described as a “historic opportunity,” affirming that Damascus is extending its hand toward understanding, peace, and diplomacy, and seeking to establish stable relations with its neighborhood.
No official announcement was issued by Syrian or Israeli authorities regarding the meeting. The office of the Israeli Prime Minister declined to comment to Axios, and a spokesperson for Shibani did not respond to the website’s request for comment.
