Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly on Friday that peace between Israel and Syria is now within reach, announcing that serious negotiations have begun with Syria’s new government.
“What once seemed unimaginable is now possible,” Netanyahu said. “I believe an agreement can be reached that respects Syria’s sovereignty while protecting Israeli security and minorities in the region,” he added.
Last Monday, President Ahmad al-Sharaa said at the Concordia Summit in New York that talks are underway on a security arrangement based on the 1974 disengagement agreement.
At the same event, President al-Sharaa contrasted Syria’s position with that of countries that have normalized ties with Israel.
“There is a big difference between Syria and the countries that signed normalization agreements. Israel is still occupying (Syrian) land, while the countries that joined the Abraham Accord had no occupied territory,”
The 1974 Disengagement Agreement between Syria and Israel ended active fighting after the October War and established a UN-monitored buffer zone near the occupied Golan Heights.
Since the liberation of Syria on December 8, 2024, the Israeli military has advanced and taken control of the buffer zone, launching over 1,000 airstrikes on civilian and military targets and conducting more than 400 incursions into Syrian areas near the Israeli border.
