The US, Israel, and Syria announced in a joint statement issued by the US State Department on Tuesday that Syria and Israel had reached an agreement during talks held in Paris under US auspices to establish a liaison mechanism for coordination on security, intelligence, and trade issues.
According to the statement, this mechanism will operate under Washington’s supervision with the aim of “facilitating immediate and ongoing coordination on intelligence sharing, de-escalation, diplomatic engagement, and trade opportunities.”
A Syrian official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said that the talks – which took place on Monday and Tuesday – concluded with an initiative to suspend all Israeli military operations against Syria.
There was no immediate comment from Israel regarding the agreement to suspend military operations. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that the talks focused on security issues and economic cooperation between the two countries.
Axios quoted an American official as saying that the US proposed, during the meeting in Paris, the establishment of a joint US-Israeli-Syrian “integration cell” in Amman, Jordan, to oversee the security situation in southern Syria and host further talks on disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
The website reported that each side would send representatives to the coordination cell to focus on diplomatic, military, intelligence, and commercial discussions.
“The coordination cell will be the engine of the process, and the United States will be the permanent mediator,” the website explained.
“The economic zone will include wind farms, an agricultural sector, the best ski resort in the Middle East, and the Druze community, known for its hospitality,” the report continued.
The US official added that regional partners have already committed to funding the project, but declined to name any countries.
Picking up stalled talks
This is the fifth round of US-mediated talks between Syria and Israel, the first in nearly two months after negotiations had stalled.
American news site Axios reported that the talks resumed after US President Donald Trump urged Netanyahu to return to the negotiating table.
And Israeli news site N12 reported Netanyahu’s office as saying that “The talks took place within the framework of President Trump’s vision for promoting peace in the Middle East, during which Israel emphasized the importance of ensuring the security of its citizens and preventing threats on its borders.”
Netanyahu’s office confirmed that “Israel renewed its commitment to strengthening regional stability and security, and the necessity of enhancing economic cooperation to the benefit of both countries. It was agreed to continue the talks to advance shared goals and maintain the security of the Druze minority in Syria.”
Reuters reported that Damascus believes any agreement must include the reactivation of the 1974 disengagement agreement and the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the pre-December 2024 lines, while Israel maintains that its military presence is temporary and linked to security considerations.
A Syrian official, speaking to Reuters on Tuesday on condition of anonymity, said that “it is not possible to move to any strategic files” in talks with Israel without a clear and binding timetable for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Syrian territory they seized after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
