Israel and Syria are currently engaged in high-level discussions aimed at ending decades of hostilities, a senior Israeli official revealed to The Times of Israel on Monday.
These discussions are centered around mutual security coordination, though a broader peace agreement remains uncertain.
“Could it develop into something beyond [security arrangements]?” the official posed. “We will wait and see. For now, there isn’t anything concrete.”
The official further noted ambitions to broaden the Abraham Accords, adding, “There is absolutely an aspiration to expand the Abraham Accords, and it’s no secret that we want to see Syria in this… And there may be an opportunity.”
Longtime adversaries, Israel and Syria have found themselves on opposing ends of regional conflicts since Israel’s establishment in 1948, including during the 1982 First Lebanon War.
However, the dynamics have shifted following the unexpected departure of Bashar al-Assad in December. Assad, long seen as an Iranian ally, was replaced by an Islamist regime in Damascus that is now signaling openness to the West.
According to a European diplomat, Syria reached out to Israel in April through intermediaries in several European nations, including Switzerland. Although initial outreach came via Europe, the United States has now taken the reins in mediating discussions.
Israel’s initial response to the new Syrian government was one of hostility, branding the incoming leadership as “terrorists” and launching targeted airstrikes.
However, in recent weeks, with U.S. diplomacy gaining momentum, Israel has softened its stance.
Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi has taken the lead on negotiations and acknowledged that both sides are maintaining daily direct contact. “We are discussing the possibility of normalization,” he said.
Also addressing the issue on Monday, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar reiterated Israel’s firm position regarding the Golan Heights, stating, “the Golan Heights will remain part of the State of Israel.” The area was captured from Syria in 1967 and formally annexed by Israel in 1981.
Sa’ar also identified Lebanon, another country still officially at war with Israel, as a potential partner for normalization.
Despite the recent thaw, skepticism remains within Syria’s leadership. A report by Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar cited unnamed Syrian officials denying any internal consensus on formal ties with Israel. One source said that despite claims by foreign mediators, “such a step does not enjoy genuine consensus, even within the team loyal to Sharaa.”
These officials reportedly favor a scaled-back arrangement focused solely on ending hostilities without establishing full diplomatic relations.
The reluctance is attributed to two primary concerns: ongoing Arab condemnation of Israel’s actions in Gaza, and fears among pro-Turkey factions that normalization could sideline Ankara’s regional influence.
Still, signs of flexibility have emerged. Lebanon’s LBCI news channel reported that Syria is not currently demanding the return of the Golan Heights as a condition for peace.
Instead, Damascus seeks Israeli recognition of the new leadership, withdrawal of IDF forces from southern Syria, clear security guarantees, and support from Washington, although the specifics of that support remain undefined.
A Syrian official speaking to Israel’s Kan broadcaster emphasized that the key issue for Damascus is the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the buffer zone in the south, not the Golan Heights.
“The issue of the Golan hasn’t even come up yet in the discussions. It is still early. But the Americans are a key factor here,” the official said.
The buffer zone in question, originally patrolled by the UN to separate Israeli and Syrian troops, came under Israeli control after Assad’s forces withdrew amid rebel advances toward Damascus late last year.
The UN has labeled the Israeli action a breach of the 1974 disengagement agreement, while Israel maintains it acted defensively to prevent hostile groups from filling the power vacuum.
Israel has also pledged to protect the Druze minority in southern Syria, providing air cover and medical assistance. A temporary IDF-run clinic was even set up to treat injured Druze fighters, more than 30 of whom were later transferred to Israeli hospitals.
At a closed-door court session on Sunday, top security officials briefed judges in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial about the regional developments.
The heads of Mossad and IDF Military Intelligence argued that Netanyahu’s testimony should be postponed due to the significance of ongoing diplomatic breakthroughs.
Echoing these sentiments, former U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News’s Maria Bartiromo that more countries were likely to normalize ties with Israel as efforts to counter Iran continue.
“We have some really great countries in there right now,” Trump said, “and I think we’re going to start loading them up because Iran was the primary problem. I actually thought Iran would… we had a period of time where I thought Iran would join the Abraham Accords along with everybody else.”
Rabbi Abraham Cooper, who recently met with President Ahmed al-Sharaa, echoed this optimism.
“If Trump signals that he is going to stay involved and tells Sharaa, I am going to help rehabilitate your country, then anything is possible. Without that, it will go slowly, step by step,” Cooper said.
