Syria, Israel hold talks in Paris over conflict in southern Syria’s Suwayda

A Syrian authoritative tells Al Jazeera Damascus emphasises the unity and sovereignty of Syria are nonnegotiable.

Syrian and Israeli officials person held talks successful Paris mediated by the United States, according to a Syrian official, successful the aftermath of an eruption of sectarian unit compounded by Israeli subject involution successful confederate Syria.

The gathering connected Saturday was held to code caller information developments astir the confederate Druze-majority metropolis of Suwayda, which has been the country of fierce warring successful caller weeks betwixt Bedouins and Druze fighters.

Israel intervened successful the conflict, striking authorities buildings successful Damascus and authorities soldiers successful Suwayda province, saying it was doing truthful to support the Druze.

The Syrian authoritative told Al Jazeera Arabic that Damascus’s delegation astatine the Paris gathering emphasised that the unity and sovereignty of Syria are nonnegotiable and Suwayda and its radical are an integral portion of Syria. It besides rejected immoderate effort to exploit segments of Syrian nine for partition, the authoritative said.

The root said the Syrian delegation held Israel liable for the caller escalation and demanded the contiguous withdrawal of Israeli forces from the points they had precocious precocious to during the unrest.

‘Honest and responsible’

Syria’s state-run Ekhbariya TV, quoting its ain diplomatic source, reported that the gathering did not effect successful immoderate last agreements but the parties had agreed to proceed talks aimed astatine maintaining stability.

The TV root described the dialog arsenic “honest and responsible” successful the archetypal confirmation from the Syrian broadside that talks had taken place.

On Friday, US envoy Tom Barrack said officials from some countries spoke astir de-escalating the concern successful Syria during talks connected Thursday.

Hundreds of radical person been reported killed successful the warring successful Suwayda, which besides drew successful authorities forces. Israel, which carried retired aerial strikes, during this month’s violence, has regularly struck Syria and launched incursions into its territory since longtime erstwhile President Bashar al-Assad was toppled successful December.

Last week’s warring underlined the challenges interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa faces successful stabilising Syria and maintaining centralised rule.

Syria’s authorities announced a week agone that Bedouin fighters had been cleared retired of Suwayda and authorities forces were deployed to oversee their exit from the full province.

The announcement came aft al-Sharaa ordered a caller ceasefire betwixt Bedouin and Druze groups aft a abstracted US-brokered deal to avert further Israeli subject attacks connected Syria.

The diplomatic source, who spoke to Ekhbariya TV, said the gathering connected Saturday progressive archetypal consultations aimed astatine “reducing tensions and opening channels of connection amid an ongoing escalation since aboriginal December”.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies