Netanyahu: Al-Sharaa initiates talks with Israel; peace now possible

During his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, Netanyahu said that Al-Sharaa “opened a line of communication with Israel and created a real opportunity for peace,” warning that “the Syrians will lose if they return to conflict, and they will gain if they choose peace,” according to Reuters.

Netanyahu added that “the situation in Syria has changed drastically, Iran and Hezbollah no longer hold the reins as they once did, which has created new opportunities for stability and peace in the region.” He noted that the step taken by Al-Sharaa represents a significant shift in the course of the conflict.

In the same context, U.S. envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack stated during a press conference in Beirut that “dialogue between the Syrian transitional government and Israel has already begun,” affirming that initial steps toward establishing serious communication channels between the two sides have been launched.

Coinciding with these developments, the U.S. State Department announced yesterday the removal of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham from the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations, following consultations with the Attorney General and the Treasury Department. The decision is set to take effect today (Tuesday).

A-H 

ANHA