Possible security agreement between Israel and Syria; what benefits will the parties receive?
Al-Arabiya TV announced that it had revealed details of a possible security agreement between the Zionist regime and the Syrian government on Sunday.
Meanwhile, a senior Israeli official said that Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer would brief Netanyahu and others attending the meeting on the negotiations with Syria and the concessions that the regime might be forced to make as part of a possible security agreement with Syria.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Sami TV and Radio reported, citing Israeli sources, that the United States is exerting pressure to narrow the gaps in the ongoing talks between Damascus and Tel Aviv.
The sources added that US pressure has led to progress in the talks, but the security agreement has not yet reached its final stage.
* What does Israel want?
According to the report, informed sources said that the agreement being negotiated aims to replace the “ceasefire” agreement signed between Syria and Israel in 1974.
The sources added that Israel rejects a return to the “ceasefire” agreement and has submitted a different written proposal through US envoy Tom Barak.
* Mount Sheikh and air control
According to this report, Al Majla news magazine reported that Tel Aviv insists on remaining in the Mount Sheikh observation post and its surroundings, along with expanding the buffer zone and creating three demilitarized zones. Tel Aviv also insists on a set of security arrangements extending to the outskirts of Damascus, along with air control over southern Syria.
According to this report, the Israeli side also wants an air corridor to the Iraqi border to access Iran, along with its readiness for some withdrawals (from Syrian territory). It also wants Syria to completely give up the Golan Heights.
* What are Damascus’ demands?
In return, Damascus wants to activate the 1974 “ceasefire” agreement and for Israel to withdraw from the territories it occupied after the former Syrian regime on December 8, 2024.
Damascus has also expressed its readiness to sign a new security agreement that takes into account Israel’s security and Syrian sovereignty and the link between normalization of relations and accession to the “Abraham” agreements and the future of the Golan Heights.
Syria has also stressed its commitment and insistence on respecting its airspace and calls for the international UN peacekeeping force (UNDOF) stationed in the Golan to monitor the implementation of this agreement.
Meanwhile, according to a report by Israel’s Channel 12, an Israeli official emphasized that Israel will not agree to withdraw from the Syrian part of Mount Sheikh. He said: “We really do not trust the Syrian regime, but this agreement can prevent an escalation of tension and help stabilize the situation on the border.”
The information came after Ron Dermer met with Syrian Foreign Minister Asad Shaibani and US Special Envoy Tom Barak in London last Wednesday. A senior US official explained that the two sides agreed to accelerate negotiations to reach an agreement in the coming weeks.