Syrian Delegation Holds US-Mediated Talks with Israel in Paris
Quoting a government source, SANA said the negotiations were coordinated and mediated by the United States and focused on reaching what it described as a “balanced security agreement” between the two sides.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A Syrian delegation led by Foreign Minister Asaad Shaibani took part on Monday in a new round of negotiations with Israel, marking the first such talks in several months, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA.
Quoting a government source, SANA said the negotiations were coordinated and mediated by the United States and focused on reaching what it described as a “balanced security agreement” between the two sides. Two diplomatic sources told AFP that US-sponsored talks were being held in Paris.
According to SANA, discussions centered on reactivating the 1974 disengagement agreement and securing the withdrawal of Israeli forces to positions held prior to the overthrow of longtime Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Following Assad’s ousting, Israel deployed troops into the UN-patrolled buffer zone that has separated Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights for decades. Israel has also conducted repeated incursions deeper into Syrian territory and carried out airstrikes, while insisting on the creation of a demilitarized zone in southern Syria.
The United States has been pressing both sides to reach an agreement aimed at halting hostilities between the two countries, which have technically been at war since 1948.
“The resumption of these negotiations is confirmation of Syria’s firm commitment to restoring its non-negotiable national rights,” the government source told SANA, adding that Syrian intelligence chief Hussein al-Salama was also part of the delegation.
Syria and Israel began direct negotiations after Assad was toppled by an Islamist-led coalition. Officials have met several times since then, most recently in September, though talks have stalled over Israel’s demand for a demilitarized zone in southern Syria.
Last month, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa warned that such a demand would threaten Syria’s security and called on Israel to adhere to the 1974 disengagement agreement.