Sources told Al-Monitor that shortly after Sharaa visited the UAE last month, an unofficial meeting between Syrian and Israeli delegations took place at an Abu Dhabi villa owned by an Emirati government official.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Wednesday the country has had indirect talks with Israel to bring down tensions as Israeli strikes continued to target Syria.

Turkey is a close supporter of Sharaa’s government and is negotiating a defence pact with Damascus that has unnerved Israel. Middle East Eye was the first to report that Turkey and Israel were in talks to establish their own Syrian deconfliction line.