Syrian leader signals potential breakthrough in talks with Israel

Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa said on September 17 that ongoing negotiations with Israel over a security agreement could produce results “in the coming days.”

Speaking to reporters in Damascus, Sharaa described the proposed pact as a “necessity” for the region, emphasising that any agreement would need to respect Syria’s airspace and territorial integrity and be monitored by the United Nations, foreign media writes.

Syria and Israel have been engaged in discussions aimed at halting Israeli airstrikes and securing the withdrawal of Israeli troops that have advanced into southern Syria since December 8, when a rebel offensive led by Sharaa toppled former leader Bashar al-Assad.

While recent media reports suggested that Washington was pressuring Damascus to finalise a deal ahead of next week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York, Sharaa denied that the U.S. was applying pressure. “The United States is playing a mediating role,” he said during the briefing with journalists, including Reuters, ahead of his planned trip to New York.

Sharaa detailed Israel’s military actions in Syria, noting that the country had conducted more than 1,000 airstrikes and over 400 ground incursions since December 8. He criticised these operations as contradictory to the U.S. policy of promoting a stable and unified Syria, calling the situation “very dangerous.”

The Syrian president said Damascus sought a deal akin to the 1974 Israel-Syria disengagement agreement, which established a demilitarised zone between the two countries. Syria is pressing for Israeli troop withdrawals from territories captured after December 8, while Israel reportedly aims to retain control over strategic sites such as Mount Hermon. Israeli officials have publicly stated their intention to maintain control over these positions.

Sharaa indicated that a successful security pact could pave the way for other agreements, though he clarified that a broader peace deal or normalisation akin to the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords was not currently under consideration. He also said it was too early to discuss the fate of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, describing the issue as “a big deal.” Israel has reportedly ruled out returning the area, which former President Donald Trump unilaterally recognised as Israeli territory during his first term.

Commenting on the complex dynamics of the negotiations, Sharaa joked, “It’s a difficult case – you have negotiations between a Damascene and a Jew.”

Sharaa also noted that a potential security pact had come within “four to five days” of agreement in July, but progress was derailed by developments in Syria’s southern Sweida province. Syrian forces were deployed to quell fighting between Druze armed factions and Bedouin groups, but clashes escalated. Damascus accused Israel of striking southern Syria during the unrest, including near the presidential palace.

Describing the strikes near the palace, Sharaa said, “It is not a message, but a declaration of war.” He added that Syria had refrained from responding militarily to preserve the possibility of ongoing negotiations.

By Tamilla Hasanova