Kurdish official says Israel offered support amid escalating tensions with Damascus

Ilham Ahmed, co-chair of the Department of Foreign Relations in the Kurdish Autonomous Administration in Syria, said on Tuesday that Israeli figures have reached out to offer support, as tensions escalate between Kurdish forces and the Syrian government.

Speaking during an online press briefing, Ahmed stated that contacts had taken place with “certain figures from the Israeli state,” adding that the Kurdish administration is open to receiving assistance “from any source” under the current circumstances. She said the outreach comes amid intensified military pressure and stalled negotiations with Damascus.

Ahmed also announced that the agreement previously reached with the Syrian government is no longer valid, citing continued attacks on Kurdish-held areas and the absence of meaningful dialogue. She said that without a ceasefire and a political process, the understandings reached earlier cannot be upheld.

Earlier this month, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar criticized actions by Syrian government forces against Kurdish areas in Aleppo, describing them as dangerous and inconsistent with claims of building a “new Syria.”

The General Command of the Syrian Democratic Forces announced a general mobilization on Monday, calling on supporters in northeastern Syria and abroad to rally after reports that talks in Damascus failed to finalize terms of a proposed agreement between the SDF and the Syrian government.

The developments reflect a deepening rift between Kurdish authorities and Damascus, alongside growing regional and international involvement as the situation in northern Syria continues to deteriorate.