Daijiworld Media Network - Damascus
Damascus, Jan 6: Syrian state media on Monday said a government delegation has taken part in a fresh round of negotiations with Israel, coordinated and mediated by the United States.
According to a government source quoted by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the delegation is led by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and intelligence chief Hussein al-Salama.
“The resumption of talks reaffirms Syria’s firm commitment to restoring its non-negotiable national rights,” the source said. He added that the discussions are primarily focused on reactivating the 1974 Disengagement Agreement to ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces to positions held prior to December 8, 2024.
The source said the proposed arrangement would be based on a reciprocal security agreement that prioritises full Syrian sovereignty and prevents any interference in Syria’s internal affairs.
Meanwhile, Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is interested in establishing peaceful borders with Syria. However, she declined to provide details on the ongoing talks or clarify whether Israel is prepared to withdraw from areas it has seized in the buffer zone.
Bedrosian also said Netanyahu stressed the importance of protecting Druze communities in Syria, along with other religious minorities, including Christians.
There was no immediate response from the US on the reported talks. On Sunday, US news website Axios reported that senior Israeli and Syrian officials were scheduled to meet in Paris on Monday under US mediation to resume negotiations aimed at reaching a new security agreement.
Citing an Israeli official, the report said the Trump administration is pushing both sides towards a deal that could stabilise the border situation and potentially serve as a first step towards future diplomatic normalisation.
The current round marks the first meeting between Syria and Israel in nearly two months and the fifth round of such negotiations. Israeli forces have carried out repeated incursions into Syrian territory since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in late 2024, actions that Damascus has strongly condemned.