The United Arab Emirates has quietly opened a backchannel for indirect communication between Syria and Israel, amid rising tensions between the two countries, Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources.
According to those familiar with the matter, the discussions are focused on intelligence and security issues, with the goal of building trust between the two longtime adversaries. The channel was reportedly established shortly after Syria’s acting president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, paid an official visit to the UAE on April 13.
So far, the talks have remained technical in nature, dealing strictly with counterterrorism and security cooperation. Military actions by Israel on Syrian territory have not been addressed in the dialogue, the sources said.
Reuters noted it could not confirm whether the talks have continued following Israel’s airstrike near the presidential palace in Damascus. However, sources indicated that Damascus and Tel Aviv have stayed in contact through alternate channels in the past week to de-escalate the situation.
Participants in the negotiations reportedly include UAE security officials, Syrian intelligence officers, and former members of the Israeli intelligence community. Reuters said the Syrian interim government, the UAE Foreign Ministry, and the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu all declined to comment.
On April 2, Prime Minister Netanyahu publicly confirmed Israeli airstrikes near the Syrian presidential palace, describing them as a warning to Damascus not to deploy security forces near southern Syria or threaten the Druze community there.
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Based on TASS materials