Syria’s foreign minister held a rare direct meeting with an Israeli delegation in Paris on Tuesday, talks that were brokered by the United States as part of a diplomatic push for Syria and Israel to normalize relations despite a recent surge in tensions between them.

Syria's foreign minister met with an Israeli delegation in Paris to discuss de-escalation and the situation in Druze-majority Sweida province after deadly sectarian violence last month, state media reported Wednesday.

Syria’s top diplomat held US-mediated talks with Israeli delegates in Paris, seeking to defuse tensions following a flare-up of sectarian violence that prompted Israel to strike its neighboring country last month.