Officials say Syria ties peace with Israel to full Golan withdrawal
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Israeli officials stated on Sunday that Syria’s Transitional President, Ahmad al-Sharaa, would not agree to any peace deal with Israel without a full Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Golan Heights.
According to Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, current discussions between Damascus and Tel Aviv are centered on reaching a regional and internationally mediated security agreement.
The report also revealed that the United States is fully aware of the negotiations and is participating through undisclosed diplomatic channels.
The Israeli newspaper also reported that Israel’s Minister for Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, is scheduled to visit Washington to discuss the Syrian issue and prospects for expanding the Abraham Accords.
According to Israeli sources, Damascus has made several key demands as part of the negotiations. These include an immediate halt to Israeli airstrikes on Syrian territory and a return to the terms of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement that followed the Yom Kippur War.
Israel, on the other hand, is reportedly pushing for the establishment of a security buffer zone along its border.
While Syrian President al-Sharaa is said to be interested in a peace deal with Israel, Israeli officials told Yedioth Ahronoth that he insists on a rapid Israeli withdrawal from several positions inside Syrian territory as a non-negotiable precondition.
The reported talks mark a significant development in the region, as Syria has historically maintained a hardline stance against normalizing relations with Israel without the return of the Golan Heights, which Israel captured in 1967 and later annexed—a move never recognized internationally.