Sharaa says Syria is holding indirect talks with Israel

PARIS,— Syria’s interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, confirmed Wednesday that Damascus is holding indirect talks with Israel aimed at de-escalating recent tensions, as violence threatens to spiral.

Al-Sharaa made the remarks during his first trip to Europe since taking office in January, seeking to strengthen ties with Western nations.

Last week, Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across Syrian territory, stating its intention was to shield Syria’s Druze minority from attacks by pro-government militias.

Speaking to journalists in Paris, al-Sharaa said, “Regarding the negotiations with Israel, there are indirect discussions underway through mediators to keep the situation under control.” He did not name the intermediaries.

Israeli officials have not released any public statement on the reported talks. Israel, which has its own Druze community, has repeatedly said it is committed to protecting Syria’s Druze and has warned militant Islamist groups to avoid entering predominantly Druze areas.

Earlier on Wednesday, al-Sharaa met with French President Emmanuel Macron. According to French officials, Macron expressed support for easing European Union and U.S. sanctions on Syria to help rebuild its shattered economy. Macron also urged that U.S. and international military forces stay in Syria to counter terrorist groups that threaten the Middle East and Europe.

Al-Sharaa, also known by the name Abu Mohammed al-Golani, rose to power after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), his Islamist coalition, ousted longtime Syrian leader Bashar Assad in December. Assad, from the country’s Alawite minority, had ruled Syria for over 20 years.

The visit to Paris comes just days after clashes between al-Sharaa’s forces and Druze fighters left close to 100 dead. Earlier violence between Sunni fighters and the Alawite minority on Syria’s coast killed more than 1,000 people, many of them Alawite civilians targeted in revenge attacks.

Syria’s minorities, including Alawites, Kurds, Christians, and Druze, remain fearful of persecution under the Sunni-dominated government.

Al-Sharaa has publicly pledged equal treatment for all Syrians, regardless of religion or ethnicity.

After 14 years of war, nearly half a million Syrians have been killed, millions displaced, and the country’s infrastructure devastated. International sanctions continue to block much-needed reconstruction efforts.

European officials view al-Sharaa’s Paris visit as a test of how far Europe is willing to engage with Syria’s new leadership.

The EU has started easing sanctions, lifting restrictions on Syria’s oil, gas, electricity, transport, and banking sectors. However, European nations remain divided on whether to remove further penalties.

In late April, Britain lifted sanctions on a dozen Syrian entities, including government ministries and state-run media outlets.

The U.S. under President Donald Trump has not yet officially recognized al-Sharaa’s government. HTS remains listed as a terrorist organization by Washington.

Although some sanctions were eased in January through a Treasury license allowing limited transactions, major restrictions remain in place.

France is also concerned about radicalized nationals who left to fight in Syria, including the fugitive widow of an Islamic State attacker involved in the 2015 Paris attacks.

France’s anti-terrorism prosecutor says about 120 French nationals are currently held in Kurdish-run prisons in Syrian Kurdistan (Western Kurdistan Rojava), with 300 more unaccounted for.

(With files from AP)