U.S. Seeks Israel–Syria Agreement for Humanitarian Corridor to Sweida
Special Envoy Tom Barrack will mediate direct negotiations between Israeli and Syrian officials in Paris next week to establish a humanitarian corridor to Sweida, marking the second high-level meeting in three weeks after 25 years of frozen relations.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The United States is working to broker an agreement between Israel and Syria to establish a humanitarian corridor aimed at delivering aid to the Druze community in Sweida, according to one U.S. official and two Israeli officials who spoke to Axios.
The proposed corridor would run from Israel to Sweida in southern Syria, providing life-saving assistance to the local Druze population. The effort comes in the wake of last month’s Israeli airstrikes on Syria amid violent clashes in Sweida, which Israel claimed were carried out in defense of Syria’s Druze community, citing solidarity with its own Druze minority.
U.S. officials believe that an agreement on such a corridor could help ease tensions, repair relations, and potentially revive momentum behind Washington’s broader push for future steps toward normalization between Israel and Syria. The project could also improve the humanitarian situation in Sweida, where volatility persists despite a declared ceasefire.
The United Nations this week warned about worsening conditions in the province, citing roadblocks, insecurity, and the difficulty of delivering aid. However, Syrian authorities have raised concerns with Washington that Druze militias could exploit the corridor to smuggle weapons.
According to Axios, U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack is scheduled to meet in Paris next week with Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani to pursue an agreement.
According to the same report citing from two Israeli sources, the meeting—initially planned for Wednesday—was postponed to allow more time for preparations and for refining the agenda. This will mark the second meeting of its kind in three weeks, following 25 years with virtually no direct engagement between Israel and Syria.
Israel, home to a politically influential Druze community, maintains it is committed to protecting Syria’s Druze minority. Several weeks ago, Israeli officials attempted to deliver aid to Sweida’s Druze population via Jordan, but Amman refused. The Israeli military then resorted to air-dropping humanitarian aid.
Israeli officials say they subsequently sought U.S. assistance in securing Syrian approval for the aid corridor. On Tuesday, Barrack met in Amman with the foreign ministers of Jordan and Syria to discuss stabilizing the situation in Sweida.
Sweida, Syria’s Druze-majority stronghold, has emerged as a flashpoint in the country’s fragile transition. Fighting between Druze and Bedouin fighters in July killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands, amid reports of atrocities against civilians.
In response to the escalation, Israel bombed Syrian tanks advancing toward Sweida and also targeted Damascus—a move that alarmed U.S. officials, who feared such actions could exacerbate instability in Syria.
