Negotiations have stalled since the outbreak of the Iran war, with no date set for their resumption.
The draft agreement proposes creating security zones near the border, including a buffer zone occupied exclusively by the UN.
اضافة اعلان
Al-Shaibani: We agreed on almost everything on paper.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani stated that Damascus expects to soon resume negotiations with Tel Aviv over a security agreement it hopes will lead to an Israeli withdrawal from Syrian territory. He urged Israel to seize a "historic opportunity," emphasizing that the door remains open to diplomacy.
In an interview with Reuters in Damascus on Saturday, days after Israel bombed Syria's Abu Al-Duhur Airbase, Al-Shaibani reaffirmed that Damascus’s priority is stopping Israeli attacks, adding that confidence-building steps in this direction are necessary.
For over a year, Washington has been seeking to forge a security agreement between Israel and the government of Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, a new U.S. ally in the Middle East. However, the agreement remains elusive, as Israel has deployed troops into Syrian territory and struck government sites, citing threats to its security.
"Following the Israeli-Iranian war, negotiations were frozen... and we hope these negotiations will resume in the near future so we can finalize this matter," Al-Shaibani said.
"We currently do not trust Israel. In our dealings, we engage with them, but there is no trust at present," he added, noting that communications were severed after the airstrike targeting the airbase.
Al-Shaibani stated, "There must be communication... especially with an entity that continuously threatens Syria's security. But if this communication yields no results, then we do not want this communication at all."
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office did not respond to a request for comment.
U.S. Pressure
Al-Sharaa says Syria poses no threat to other countries and that Damascus is focusing on rebuilding after a 14-year civil war.
Israeli officials have cited a range of potential threats in Syria since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. Some described Syria's new rulers last year as "mere jihadists in disguise," despite the close ties Al-Sharaa has established with the United States.
In the days following the fall of Assad in 2024, Israel seized territory in southwestern Syria, claiming it was necessary to protect its citizens from attacks, and bombed dozens of Syrian military sites.
Al-Shaibani said Israel "tried extensively to secure its safety through hard power, and failed." He added, "The door is open; they will come around to this, and I believe negotiations will resume soon."
No date has been set yet.
Regarding the United States, Al-Shaibani said, "They are continuously trying to pressure Israel or push Israel toward returning to the dialogue table and reaching an agreement with Syria."
When asked about his level of optimism, Al-Shaibani said, "It is very difficult to bet on Israel," but added, "We have a very strong ambition for Syria's relationship with its surroundings to be stable."
He added, "Today, Syria extends its hand for understandings, peace, and diplomacy. It wants to be a stable region."
Syria Has Not Seen Israeli Desire for an Agreement
Tensions over Syria escalated on Tuesday when Israel bombed the Abu Al-Duhur Airbase, claiming Damascus was on the verge of allowing Turkish forces to be deployed there—a claim denied by both Syria and Turkey.
"Israel asks that its security concerns be taken into account. We have no problem with that; we understand these concerns. But Israel must also respect Syria's security concerns and respect its sovereignty," Al-Shaibani said, pointing to Israel's use of Syrian airspace, air raids, and detentions carried out in the south.
Regarding the security agreement, he clarified that around the beginning of the year, "we agreed on almost everything on paper... It contained several points: first, non-aggression by Israel against Syria, and non-interference by Israel in Syria's internal affairs." The agreement would obligate Israel to stop attacking Syria and is tied to its withdrawal from the territories it seized after the fall of Assad.
The agreement would also establish several security zones in Syrian territory near the Israeli border, including a buffer zone with an exclusive UN presence, and other zones where Syria would deploy varying force levels.
However, he said Israel sought to evade completing the agreement, adding, "We did not see a genuine motive or willingness on their part to reach an agreement."
Golan Heights
Syria and Israel remain officially at war since 1948, and Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 war.
Al-Shaibani said, "Our current focus is stopping the aggression above all else, even before the security agreement... Later, it may be possible to open the subject of peace, the subject of the Golan. For now, we have taken a step back."
U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Thomas Brack said on Tuesday that Washington is working to establish a deconfliction mechanism between Israel, Turkey, and Syria.
Al-Shaibani said the mechanism has not yet been agreed upon, adding, "We do not want it to become a mechanism to solidify the reality of Israeli occupation in the new Syria. We want it to be a mechanism to stop attacks and pave the way for a security agreement culminating in Israel's withdrawal from Syria."
The U.S. State Department has not yet responded to a request for comment.
He noted that Israel bombed Abu Al-Duhur Airbase even after Syria conveyed a message that it would not serve as a Turkish base.
He stated that Syria relies on Turkish support for military training and cooperation, noting that this also applies to Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and other countries.
"As long as Turkey is willing, proactive, and ready to support the Syrian people in this field, we certainly—first and foremost—thank them for this, and we will not dispense with this support," he said.
Reuters
