Israel hosted a representative of the so-called autonomous administration in northern Syria at its parliament on Tuesday, drawing attention to shifting regional dynamics as Syrian government forces regain territory from the U.S.-backed terrorist group YPG.
Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli said in a post on X that Israel stands with what he described as “the Kurdish minority in Syria’s Rojava region.” Chikli said the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, received Azad Halil, a representative of the so-called autonomous administration that controls parts of northeastern Syria.
According to Chikli, Halil met with lawmakers, including a Druze member of the ruling Likud party and a member of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
In a separate statement on X, Halil thanked Israeli officials for their support and said Kurds and Jews share a historic friendship.
The meeting comes as the Syrian army has advanced operations against the YPG terrorist group, retaking areas east of the Euphrates River, including parts of Deir el-Zour and Raqqa provinces.
Under an agreement that took effect Feb. 2, Syrian government forces have also begun deploying in the cities of Hassakeh and Qamishli, areas previously controlled by the YPG as part of a broader handover process.
Previously, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan noted that the YPG has been "coordinating with Israel for certain activities" and said this cooperation was the biggest obstacle in the YPG's talks with Damascus. Israel pursued a warm approach toward the YPG, especially after the fall of the Baathist regime, while Tel Aviv also sought to expand its aggression to the new Syria.
Last week, the Syrian government announced that it had reached a "comprehensive agreement" with the YPG that ends the state of division in the country and lays the groundwork for a new phase of full integration.
The latest agreement with the YPG concerning the cities of Hassakeh and Qamishli and the integration of military forces complements the agreement signed on Jan. 18.
On Jan. 18, the Syrian government and the terrorist group signed an agreement calling for a cease-fire and the integration of the group's members and institutions into the Syrian state, but the group continued to commit violations described by the government as a "serious escalation."
The agreement followed a military operation launched by the Syrian Army, during which it regained large areas in eastern and northeastern Syria after repeated violations by the YPG of an agreement it signed with the government in March 2025.
