The United States has initiated early-stage discussions with Israel and Syria aimed at exploring a potential security agreement between the two long-hostile nations, U.S. and Israeli officials said on Monday, June 30th.
“We are having very soft preliminary discussions,” confirmed a senior U.S. official, emphasizing the tentative nature of the talks. According to the report, the discussions are being conducted at the mid-official level.
The U.S. is reportedly advocating for a “gradual process that would slowly build trust and improve relations between Israel and Syria,” the report noted. However, Israel is seeking assurances that such a process will ultimately culminate in “a full peace agreement and normalization,” according to a senior Israeli official.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is aiming to begin with a modernized version of the 1974 disengagement agreement that called for a separation of forces and release of prisoners of war. Under the current vision, this could form the first phase of a broader normalization path.
Key points of leverage in the talks reportedly include Israeli-controlled buffer zones and Syrian territory currently occupied by Israel. Israeli officials have made it clear that any withdrawal from these areas would only come in exchange for full peace.
