The Syrian foreign ministry, in a statement outlining its new roadmap, announced that “the United States, in consultation with the Syrian government, will work to reach security understandings with Israel concerning southern Syria.” The goal is to address the “legitimate security concerns of both Syria and Israel while emphasizing Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Sources said that even a modest agreement would be a significant achievement, given Israel’s tough stance during months of talks and Syria’s weakened position following sectarian violence in its south. According to intelligence sources, Syria’s proposal aims to secure the withdrawal of Israeli troops from recently seized territory, reinstate the demilitarized buffer zone established by a 1974 truce, and halt Israeli airstrikes and ground incursions.
Sources noted that the talks had not addressed the status of the Golan Heights, which Israel seized in the 1967 war. A Syrian source familiar with Damascus’s position said this issue would be “left for the future.”
Syrian Forces Withdraw Heavy Weapons The two countries have technically been at war since Israel’s creation in 1948, despite periodic armistices. Syria does not officially recognize the state of Israel.
After months of encroaching on the demilitarized zone, Israel abandoned the 1974 truce on December 8, the day a rebel offensive ousted then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Israel subsequently struck Syrian military assets and sent troops to within 20 kilometers of Damascus. Sources indicated that during closed-door talks, Israel has shown reluctance to relinquish these recent gains.
A US State Department official stated that Washington “continues to support any efforts that will bring lasting stability and peace between Israel, Syria and its neighbors.”
A Syrian military official said on Tuesday that Syrian forces have withdrawn heavy weapons from the country’s south, where Israel has demanded a demilitarized zone, as Damascus announced a roadmap for restoring calm in a violence-stricken southern province.
Sectarian Clashes and External Intervention A week of sectarian bloodshed erupted on July 13 in the Druze-majority Sweida province with clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouins. The conflict quickly escalated, drawing in government forces and tribal fighters from other parts of Syria.
Israel, which has its own Druze community, intervened with airstrikes on government targets, stating its actions were to defend the minority group and enforce its demands for the demilitarization of southern Syria.
