Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani received US Special Envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack in Damascus, where the two discussed recent regional developments and ways to enhance cooperation between Syria and the United States in a manner that serves the mutual interests of both sides.

The diplomatic engagement comes as Washington is reportedly pushing efforts to secure a security agreement between Syria and the Israeli occupation.

Earlier today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that his government insists on maintaining southwest Syria, the area adjacent to the occupied Golan, as a demilitarized zone. He stressed that this remains a central condition in any future arrangement with Damascus.

“Israel” sets conditions for any potential agreement

Netanyahu also stated that “reaching an agreement with Syria is possible,” while tying that prospect to a set of strict demands. He said he expects Syria to establish a demilitarized buffer extending from Damascus to Jabal al-Sheikh and other areas.

The US envoy’s movement underscores heightened diplomatic maneuvering as regional powers weigh the implications of any Syrian-Israeli arrangement. However, observers note that such proposals remain deeply contested, particularly amid the ongoing occupation of Syrian land and unresolved security issues along the Golan frontier.

US officials have expressed strong objections to the actions carried out by the Israeli occupation in Syria, according to a report from Israeli Channel 12 citing a senior US official.

Political correspondent Barak Ravid reported that the official insisted Syria “does not want problems with Israel,” warning that the current approach taken by Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “will turn the new regime in Syria into an enemy of Israel.”

The official emphasized that the situation in Syria “is not similar to the situation in Lebanon,” noting that Netanyahu “sees worrying signs everywhere.”

Israeli incursions target Beit Jinn

Local sources in Damascus Countryside reported Saturday a wave of displacement from the town of Beit Jinn following the sound of Israeli military vehicles near the area.

The sources noted that Israeli forces advanced toward the al-Toloul al-Homr region, located between the towns of Hadar in Quneitra and Beit Jinn.

According to eyewitnesses, several families began fleeing Beit Jinn on Saturday evening after hearing the movement of Israeli occupation military vehicles nearby.

Local sources confirmed that Israeli forces infiltrated into the al-Toloul al-Homr area and deployed military vehicles around Beit Jinn. They also observed heavy Israeli reconnaissance and helicopter activity in the skies above the town.