Dermer-Syrian FM meeting on Druze aid corridor postponed

A planned meeting in Paris between Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani has been postponed, sources told N12 on Tuesday. The talks, originally scheduled for Wednesday, are now expected to take place next week to allow additional time for preparation.

The agenda is believed to center on establishing a humanitarian aid corridor to support Syria’s Druze community, which has faced escalating tensions and violence in the southern city of Sweida. The discussions are set to involve U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, who previously joined Dermer and Shaibani in Paris on July 24, when fighting broke out between Druze and local Bedouin tribes. That unrest prompted Israeli strikes on Damascus and Syrian government forces allied with the Bedouins, in a bid to protect the Druze population.

Delegations from Israel and Syria also met in Baku, Azerbaijan, on July 31 to review the security situation in southern Syria, including the volatile Sweida region.

Dermer, who has played a key role in Israel’s hostage negotiations, is expected to retire from politics in the coming months. Senior officials say he may remain in his role for a few short-term diplomatic initiatives before stepping down, though an earlier resignation is also possible.

During last Thursday’s Security Cabinet meeting where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal to occupy Gaza City was approved Dermer reportedly told ministers that Washington’s position on a hostage deal, as relayed by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to hostage families, was “all or nothing.”

The upcoming meeting with Shaibani, if successful, could mark a rare moment of cooperation between Israel and Syria, driven by shared humanitarian concerns for the Druze population.

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