ANKARA/PARIS/WASHINGTON — As Turkey and Israel explore a deconfliction mechanism in Syria to prevent military mishaps, the effort is unlikely to ease bilateral tensions stemming from the war in Gaza but could help prevent further deterioration of ties between the two regional heavyweights. 

Following their first round of talks held in Azerbaijan last Wednesday, Turkey and Israeli officials are set to meet again, a source familiar with the talks told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, without providing further details. The talks come amid rising fears of direct confrontation between Turkey and Israel after Israeli airstrikes on April 5 hit nearly a dozen military sites in Syria, including a strategic military base in Homs known as the T4 base and the Palmyra airport, where Ankara was reportedly planning to deploy Turkish drones and troops.

Turkey was the key backer of Syrian armed opposition groups that helped Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) during a lightning offensive that led to the fall of the Syrian regime in December. Turkey already has an estimated 10,000 troops in the country, primarily deployed in northern Syria.

During the first deconfliction talks, the two sides made little progress, according to Israeli state broadcaster Kan. However, analysts are cautiously optimistic that the two sides can reach an understanding for the establishment of the mechanism. The second round of talks is expected to be held after the Jewish holiday of Passover, which ends this weekend.