WhatsappThe United Arab Emirates has established a secret communication channel between Israel and Syria, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Syria’s new rulers seek regional assistance in managing increasingly hostile relations.
The indirect talks, which have not been reported so far, focus on security and intelligence issues and building trust between the two countries, which have no formal relations, said a Syrian security source and a regional intelligence source with direct knowledge of the matter. The first source described the effort, which began just days after Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara’a visited the United Arab Emirates on April 13, as currently focused on “technical matters,” adding that there was no limit to the topics that would be discussed in the future.
A senior Syrian security source told Reuters that the secret channel is limited to security-related issues, focusing on a number of counterterrorism cases. The source emphasized that purely military matters, particularly those related to IDF operations in Syria, are not included in the current channel.
The intelligence source noted that the mechanism involved, among others, senior security officials from the United Arab Emirates, senior Syrian intelligence officials and former senior Israeli intelligence officials. All sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation. The Syrian presidency and the UAE Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office declined a Reuters request for comment.
