The response follows Netanyahu's claim that he spoke briefly and sharply with al-Sharaa after Israel destroyed the Syrian Ministry of Defense and targeted the Presidential Palace compound in Damascus. Netanyahu stated the conversation ended the sectarian killings, which would mark the first direct contact between the heads of government of the two hostile nations. Israel and Syria currently have no diplomatic relations and are technically at war, though they are reportedly negotiating a security agreement.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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Syria Denies First Direct Call with Netanyahu After July 2025 Strikes
War5 days ago
The Syrian government dismissed assertions that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's personal phone call to President Ahmed al-Sharaa halted a massacre of the Druze minority in Suwayda last year. An unnamed official told the state news agency SANA that Israel armed an "outlawed militia" to create a pretext for war and deliberately fueled the violence in July 2025. Syria claimed Israeli airstrikes actually prevented government forces from ending the fighting and that peace was instead achieved through US mediation. Damascus also called on the international community to force Israel to comply with the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.
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