Israel-Russia agree to continue implementing deconfliction mechanism in Syria

In a first, since taking office, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett held an in-person meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on Friday. During the meeting, both the leaders agreed to continue implementing the deconfliction mechanism that works to prevent Israeli and Russian troops from clashing in Syria, the Times of Israel reported. While Moscow has been actively involved in the Syrian conflict, Israel maintains a policy of neutrality, though it has several times targetted Iranian militias.

Speaking to the Israeli daily, Housing Minster Ze’ev Elkin said that the talks revolved around avoiding armed conflict in Syria and “safeguarding coordination mechanisms.” During the very wide” discussions,  Bennett agreed on keeping the policies vis-a-vis Russia in place while also curtailing Iran’s influence in the conflict-hit country. “The prime minister presented his world view on ways to stop Iran’s nuclear drive and Iran’s entrenchment in Syria,” he said in a statement. “It was decided to keep policies vis-à-vis Russia in place (regarding airstrikes in Syrian territory).”

Later, in a social media post, Bennett said that Israel’s relationship with Russia is “very strategic, but it needs to maintain a regular and direct discourse.” Referring to Russian military presence on Syrian soil, the zionist leader admitted that Moscow was a ‘very important regional player”. Russia entered the Syrian Civil war at the invitation of President Bashar al-Assad in 2015. After a few initial aerial strikes on rebel bases, it permanently stationed military troops in the country. 

In 2015, Russia and Israel set up a hotline in Syria to avoid accidental clashes. Soon after, the Russian Defence Ministry said that the hotline would facilitate mutual information-sharing on the actions of aircraft, amongst other things. While the current extent of coordination between both parties is ambiguous, IDF generally does not seek Russia permission before conducting an airstrike, according to the Times of Israel. 

Current situation in Syria 

The Syrian civil war ended in 2019 but the northwestern part of the country which includes the Governorate of Idlib and parts of Aleppo, Hama, and Latakia continue to remain under rebels. The northeast, meanwhile, is governed autonomously. Despite a withdrawal order issued by former US President Donald Trump, American troops continue to operate in the region in alliance with Kurdish rebels. Notably, while armed fighting has now ended, the government and militias continue to engage in a war of nerves and occasional assaults.

Image: AP