Axios: Washington mediates for humanitarian corridor between Sweida, Israel

Reports indicate that US President Donald Trump’s administration is working to broker an agreement to establish a humanitarian corridor between Sweida and Israel, aimed at delivering assistance, while the Syrian transitional government has expressed caution. 

Axios, a US news website, quoted a U.S. official and Israeli officials as saying that an agreement between Syria and Israel could help improve relations between the two sides. The agreement "could potentially rebuild momentum behind US efforts to take further steps toward possible normalization of relations in the future."

The website also noted that the humanitarian corridor could help improve conditions in Sweida, highlighting that the situation remains unstable despite the ceasefire. The United Nations has warned of deteriorating conditions and difficulties in delivering life-saving aid due to checkpoints controlled by transitional government forces and general insecurity.

Axios added that the Syrian transitional government "expressed concern to the US side that local factions in Sweida could use this corridor to smuggle weapons." It noted that US envoy to Syria, Thomas Barrack, is scheduled to meet next week in Paris with Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and Transitional Government Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani in an attempt to reach an agreement.

Axios pointed out that the meeting was originally scheduled for Wednesday but was postponed to allow more time to finalize preparations and revise the agenda, according to two sources.

Later, Israel’s Channel 12 confirmed that the meeting between Al-Shaibani and Dermer had been postponed to next week.

According to Axios, Israeli officials stated that Israel had asked Washington for assistance in obtaining Damascus’s approval to establish an aid corridor.

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ANHA