U.S. Congressman Abraham Hamadeh met on Sunday with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani during a brief, unannounced visit to Damascus, following a trip to Israel, according to a statement on Hamadeh’s official website.
Hamadeh, who represents Arizona and sits on the House Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees, described the six-hour stop in Syria as “an unprecedented journey from Jerusalem to Damascus.” He said the meeting focused on the return of the remains of American aid worker Kayla Mueller to her family, establishing a safe humanitarian corridor for medical and relief aid to the southern province of Suwayda, and encouraging Syria to normalise relations with Israel and join the Abraham Accords.
“I advised Interim President al-Sharaa that, to build a unified Syria, the government must provide peace and security for all its citizens — Christians, Druze, Kurds, Alawites, and other minorities,” Hamadeh said. “That is the only way to create a new Syria that reflects its ethnic and religious diversity.”
The Syrian Presidency and Foreign Ministry have not commented on the meeting through official channels.
Background on Kayla Mueller
Mueller, born in 1988, was an American humanitarian worker abducted by the so-called Islamic State in 2013 while leaving a hospital in Aleppo. Her family announced her death in 2015 under unclear circumstances.
Support for Sanctions Relief
Hamadeh reiterated his support for President Donald Trump’s decision to lift certain U.S. sanctions on Syria to aid its reconstruction, but stressed that Congress must play a key role in ensuring the Syrian government meets its commitments to Washington. He said his team has been engaged in interagency efforts to verify developments on the ground and praised the “strong leadership” of U.S. Special Envoy Thomas Barak.
On Monday, Syrian Finance Minister Mohammad Barniyeh confirmed meeting Hamadeh during the latter’s short stay in Damascus, discussing bilateral economic and financial ties as well as “ongoing reforms in the Syrian financial sector” and “exploring opportunities for further cooperation.” Barniyeh expressed optimism about the future of relations between the two countries.
Regional Context
Hamadeh’s visit came days after he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on August 5, as part of a Republican congressional delegation linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Netanyahu noted that Hamadeh’s mother is from Suwayda and thanked him for supporting Israel’s Druze community in southern Syria.
In Israel, Hamadeh also met Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif and discussed regional security issues, the war in Gaza, humanitarian aid, and the expansion of the Abraham Accords.
The Damascus meeting occurred against the backdrop of last month’s deadly violence in Suwayda province, which left at least 1,013 people dead, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights. The unrest began in mid-July with kidnappings between local Bedouin residents and Druze factions loyal to Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, escalating into armed clashes, a contested government intervention, and Israeli airstrikes targeting government positions in Suwayda and near Damascus. A fragile, internationally brokered truce has since reduced hostilities, though sporadic violations continue.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
