In a statement that casts a shadow over tentative diplomatic overtures, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority announced on Monday that negotiations with Syria have reached an impasse. The talks, mediated by international actors seeking a security agreement between the Israeli occupation and Syria’s emergent government, were predicated on the foundational disengagement accord of 1974.
According to the Authority, the talks have stalled due to sharp disagreements over Israel’s withdrawal from southern Syrian territories, which occupation forces entered on 8 December 2024 amid the political upheaval following the collapse of the Assad regime. The Authority further indicated that Israel is not inclined to settle for a mere “security agreement” with Syria. Rather, it seeks a comprehensive peace treaty, offering withdrawal from the occupied territories only upon the conclusion of such a broader accord.
Israel has categorically rejected President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s call for an unconditional withdrawal from the areas seized in the aftermath of Assad’s fall.
Mounting Israeli Concerns
In a development that has provoked concern within Israeli political circles, the Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth recently reported growing fears that U.S. President Donald Trump might pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to relinquish control of Mount Hermon, particularly in light of al-Sharaa’s landmark visit to the White House.
The newspaper detailed the steady progress of Israeli bulldozers advancing towards the 2,800-metre summit of Mount Hermon, located within Syrian territory, where fortification and maintenance work is underway in preparation for the approaching winter. While Israeli military officials maintain that the winter deployment does not signal any forthcoming withdrawal, Washington and Damascus may now hold a divergent outlook following the Syrian president’s meeting with Trump earlier this month.
No Normalisation with the Occupation
In a candid interview with Fox News, President al-Sharaa ruled out the prospect of direct negotiations with Israel in the near term. He asserted that Syria’s situation is fundamentally different from those of the states party to the Abraham Accords, owing to Israel’s continued occupation of Syrian land since 1967. Al-Sharaa suggested that the United States could eventually serve as a mediator within the Abraham Accords framework, though such a prospect remains distant and speculative.
U.S. envoy to Syria, Thomas Barrack, rejected claims that the security talks had collapsed, stating, “It is untrue that the security accord faltered in its eleventh hour.”
Since the Assad regime’s collapse on 8 December 2024, Israeli forces have pushed deeper into Syrian territory, committing near-daily violations along the border. These have included incursions, arrests, and, at times, the killing of Syrian civilians. In a landscape where peace offerings falter before taking root, the spectre of enduring hostility endures — a stark reminder of the complex road ahead for reconciliation in a region scarred by more than half a century of conflict.
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.
