Syria’s president confirms advanced talks on security deal with Israel
By Saad al-Yaziji
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa revealed on Sunday that advanced discussions are ongoing regarding a potential security agreement between Damascus and Israel.
Al-Sharaa’s remarks came during a meeting in Damascus with a delegation of Arab media representatives, including editors-in-chief, directors of media institutions, and former ministers of information.
The president stated that any potential agreement would be based on the 1974 ceasefire line, which has served as the framework for armistice between the two sides for decades.
Journalist Nadim Koteich, one of the participants in the meeting, told Sky News Arabia that al-Sharaa emphasized two “red lines” regarding the situation in Suwayda: Syria’s territorial unity and the refusal to allow weapons outside state control. He noted that the president applied the same principle to any prospective settlements with Kurds, Druze, Alawites, or others, while acknowledging past missteps in the government’s handling of internal issues.
With regard to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Koteich quoted al-Sharaa as saying that the March 10 agreement with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi remains a basis for future arrangements, backed by Kurdish approval and supported by international mediators.
Al-Sharaa also expressed readiness to consider developing Article 107 of the Syrian constitution in order to provide reassurances to different communities, while reiterating that weapons must remain under the authority of the state and no independent entities would be permitted.
According to Koteich, the president underscored the importance of the region administered by the SDF, describing it as vital to Syria’s future due to its agricultural resources, oil fields, and geographic position. He stressed that the area should serve all Syrians, including the Kurds, who he said would form an integral part of a future Syrian government.
On Lebanon, al-Sharaa stated that he has chosen to put aside the grievances caused by Hezbollah in the past, emphasizing that Syria will not pursue renewed conflict. “I look forward to writing a new history of Syrian-Lebanese relations, free of old burdens,” he said, adding that Syria should neither be seen as a threat nor used as leverage in political disputes involving Hezbollah.