Barak stated to reporters on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York that the agreement would be the first step towards the security pact being negotiated by both sides. He added that “under the agreement, Israel will halt its attacks, while Syria agrees not to move any heavy machinery or equipment near the Israeli border.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced last Sunday, noting that “the matter is still out of reach.” Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu, during an Israeli government session, said, “The victories we achieved against Hezbollah have opened a possibility that was not even considered—peace with our northern neighbors. We are making contacts, and there is certain progress with the Syrians, but it is still out of reach.”
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa revealed last Friday that negotiations are underway, mediated by the Americans, between Syria and Israel, nearing an agreement that might be signed soon. Al-Sharaa indicated that the upcoming agreement would be similar to the 1974 agreement but emphasized that this “does not mean in any way normalizing relations with Tel Aviv.”
Al-Sharaa spoke about the negotiations with Israel following the recent attack on Qatar: “If the question is whether I trust Israel, the answer is no, I do not trust it.” He considered Israel’s targeting of the presidential building and the Ministry of Defense in the capital, Damascus, as “”, but at the same time, he noted that reaching a security agreement with it has become inevitable, despite deep doubts about Israel’s commitment to it.
