시리아-이스라엘, 요르단서 고위급 회담…“긴장 완화 논의”

Syria and Israel convened a high-level meeting in Jordan on March 23 to ease heightened tensions following Israel's attack on a Syrian airbase. The Syrian state news agency SANA reported that Syrian Ambassador to Iraq, Assad al-Sha'iban led the Syrian delegation, which met with a high-level Israeli delegation. The meeting was mediated by the United States and hosted by Jordan.

AFP quoted SANA in saying that Sha'iban met with Israeli Mossad Director Roni Gofman. The primary topics of discussion at the meeting were ways to lower the recent tensions and prevent the conflict between Israel and Turkey spilling over into Syria. According to SANA, Syria's position during the talks was that Israel's troops should withdraw to a pre-2024 deployment line and fully restore the 1974 Syria-Israel force separation agreement.

The two countries also discussed the establishment of a "special operations cell" in Jordan under U.S. supervision or a joint liaison and coordination system to prevent conflicts in Syrian territory. The system is said to handle security coordination, border control, and accidental clash prevention. SANA reported that the talks aimed to "revive negotiations towards a broader security agreement."

Israel's 18th attack on a Syrian airbase in northern Syria was a response to Turkey's deployment of troops in the area, which Turkey denied. U.S. Ambassador to Syria Tom Berger criticized the attack as "unnecessary escalation of tension within the region." Syria and Israel had agreed to set up information-sharing and communication channels during a Paris negotiation in January, but the talks were suspended following the Iran war outbreak, and Syria cut off contact with Israel after the attack on Al-Tanf.

Israel has repeatedly targeted Syrian military facilities after the fall of the Assad regime and deployed troops in southern Syria and the U.N.-managed Demilitarized Zone. Israel claims these actions are for its own security, but Syria demands the attacks and troop withdrawals as a violation of its sovereignty. Temporary President of the Assad regime, Ahmet Shaara, has continuously sought to resolve tensions with Israel under U.S. mediation, aiming for a security agreement after the fall of the Assad regime in 1948.