Israeli Media Reveals Details on Secret Contacts with Bashar Al-Assad

Gaza (Quds News Network)- A recent report by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth has revealed secret Israeli efforts to establish a connection with ousted Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. According to the report, Israel’s intelligence services, including Mossad, engaged in covert attempts to organize a meeting between Yossi Cohen, the former Mossad chief, and Assad in the Kremlin.

The meetings were part of a broader, undisclosed deal. Israel reportedly sought Assad’s agreement to expel Iranian forces and Hezbollah from Syrian territory in exchange for lifting sanctions. Over recent years, Israeli intelligence had been working behind the scenes to establish a communication channel with Assad and his regime, particularly with figures like Vice President for Security Affairs, Ali Mamluk.

The report detailed a covert WhatsApp group created for communication between Assad’s inner circle and Israeli intelligence agents. Using the alias “Musa,” Israeli operatives reportedly sent messages before and after Israeli airstrikes on Syria. The messages oscillated between threats and praise, underlining Israel’s deep understanding of the situation in Syria.

A key aspect of the communications included warnings about the presence of Hezbollah’s Monir Ali Naim in southern Syria, with Israel making it clear that any continued cooperation with the group would lead to further strikes.

These exchanges were discovered by opposition fighters who seized copies of the messages from an intelligence base. They mistakenly believed the communications were between Israel and Russia, plotting against Bashar Al-Assad, but the messages actually revealed Israel’s long-running campaign to pressure Assad into severing ties with Iran and Hezbollah.

The Yedioth Ahronoth report emphasizes that Israel’s actions were deliberate and calculated, aiming to show Assad’s regime that it was vulnerable and exposed. Through the messages, Israeli intelligence conveyed its capability to access Syrian leadership’s communications and gather sensitive information.

One of the objectives of this campaign, according to security sources, was to demonstrate to Assad’s government that Israel could easily reach their phones, sending simple and clear messages. This strategy was part of a broader effort to destabilize the Syrian regime’s alliances and to undermine Assad’s standing, particularly in his dealings with Iran and Hezbollah.

Despite the strategic nature of these efforts, they were abruptly interrupted following the collapse of the Assad regime’s position in Syria.