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Syrian, Israeli Officials Reportedly Meet at Hmeimim Air Base

A Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet is prepared for takeoff at the Russian military base of Hmeimim, Syria, on 26 September 2019. (Getty Images)
A Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet is prepared for takeoff at the Russian military base of Hmeimim, Syria, on 26 September 2019. (Getty Images)
    Damascus, London – Asharq Al-Awsat
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Syrian, Israeli Officials Reportedly Meet at Hmeimim Air Base

A Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet is prepared for takeoff at the Russian military base of Hmeimim, Syria, on 26 September 2019. (Getty Images)
A Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet is prepared for takeoff at the Russian military base of Hmeimim, Syria, on 26 September 2019. (Getty Images)

Syrian and Israeli officials reportedly held a meeting last month at the Russian air base in Hmeimim, Syria.

The Russia-sponsored meeting tackled several issues, including Israel’s demand for Iran to pull out its militias from Syria, said the Jusoor for Studies website.

Damascus and Tel Aviv have not commented on the report.

The website said the meeting included Syrian national security bureau chief Ali Mamlouk, presidential palace security aide Bassam Hassan, Israel’s former Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot and commander of Russian forces in Syria, Alexander Chayko.

The Syrian officials demanded that their country’s return to the Arab League be “facilitated” and that it receive financial aid to pay debts to Iran. They also called for lifting western sanctions on Damascus.

Israel demanded that Hezbollah, Iran and Iranian militias be withdrawn completely from Syria, that a Syrian government that includes opposition figures be formed and that the military be restructured.

The website said that “no specific agreements were reached, but it represented the beginning of Russian efforts” towards a certain objective. More meetings are expected in 2021.

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Aoun Condemns Attempts to Drag Lebanon Anew into Violence

FILED - 17 January 2025, Lebanon, Baabda: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference at Baabda Palace. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa
FILED - 17 January 2025, Lebanon, Baabda: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference at Baabda Palace. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa
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Aoun Condemns Attempts to Drag Lebanon Anew into Violence

FILED - 17 January 2025, Lebanon, Baabda: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference at Baabda Palace. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa
FILED - 17 January 2025, Lebanon, Baabda: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference at Baabda Palace. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned on Saturday Israel’s attempts to drag Lebanon once again into the endless “spiral of violence”, following Israeli claims that it had intercepted three missiles launched from south Lebanon.
A statement released by the Lebanese Presidency said that Aoun called for "avoiding any repercussions and ensuring control over any violations that could endanger the nation during these sensitive times."
Aoun has directed the Army Commander, General Rodolphe Haikal, to “take all necessary field measures to ensure the safety of citizens and conduct investigations regarding the incident”, added the statement.
Also in a statement, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, asked the Lebanese military to take all necessary measures in the south, but said the country did not want to return to war.
He reaffirmed that “only the state holds the authority to decide on matters of war and peace."
The Prime Minister also contacted Janine Plasschaert, the UN Secretary-General's Personal Representative in Lebanon, during which he urged the United Nations to "intensify international pressure on Israel to fully withdraw from the occupied Lebanese territories”.
He emphasized that Israel’s “occupation violates UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire arrangements established by the previous government in November, to which Lebanon remains committed".

On Saturday, Israeli artillery and airstrikes hit south Lebanon after Israel said it had intercepted rockets fired from across the border, a clash endangering a shaky truce that ended a year-long war between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

That conflict marked the deadliest spillover of the Gaza war, rumbling across the border for months before escalating into a blistering Israeli offensive that wiped out Hezbollah's top commanders, many of its fighters and much of its arsenal.