Israel presents Syria with proposal for new security agreement
9/17/2025 7:58:00 AM
Israel has presented Syria with a detailed proposal for a new security agreement, including a map outlining proposed demilitarized zones from southwest of Damascus to the Israeli border, according to two sources familiar with the details.
Why it matters: Relations between Israel and the new Syrian government have been tense, with Israel even bombing Damascus in July. The Trump administration has taken a friendlier approach toward Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who replaced Bashar al-Assad, quietly facilitating Israel-Syria diplomacy.
State of play: Syria has not yet responded to the Israeli proposal, submitted several weeks ago, and has been developing a counterproposal in recent weeks.
Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani are scheduled to discuss the proposal on Wednesday in London, alongside U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, who has been mediating between the two countries. This would mark the third trilateral meeting. Sources familiar with the talks say progress is being made, though no agreement appears imminent.
Flashback: The security agreement currently being negotiated is intended to replace the 1974 disengagement agreement between the countries. That pact became irrelevant after the collapse of the Assad regime and Israel’s occupation of the buffer zone on the Syrian side of the border.
Zoom in: According to two sources familiar with the details, the Israeli proposal draws on Israel’s 1979 peace agreement with Egypt, which divided the Sinai Peninsula into three zones — A, B, and C — with different security arrangements and levels of demilitarization based on proximity to the Israeli border.
Between the lines: The Israeli proposal represents maximalist demands, asking Syria to accept a broad demilitarized area and a no-fly zone on its territory, while maintaining the status quo on the Israeli side of the border.
Under the plan, the area southwest of Damascus would be divided into three zones, allowing Syria to maintain different levels of forces and types of weaponry depending on the zone. The proposal also calls for a 2 km extension of the buffer zone on the Syrian side.
In the strip adjacent to the buffer zone and closest to the Israeli border, military forces and heavy weapons would be prohibited, though Syria could maintain police and internal security forces. A source familiar with the details said the entire area from southwest Damascus to the Israeli border would be designated a no-fly zone for Syrian aircraft.
In exchange for these limitations on the Syrian side, Israel has proposed a gradual withdrawal from all territories it has occupied in Syria over recent months, except for an outpost on the summit of the strategic Mt. Hermon. A senior Israeli official said Israel insists on maintaining a presence there under any future agreement.
The intrigue: A key element of the Israeli proposal is maintaining an aerial corridor to Iran via Syria, which would allow for potential future Israeli strikes in Iran.
What to watch: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed interest in arranging a meeting with al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly at the end of September, though an Israeli official noted the likelihood of that meeting remains low. Netanyahu also said at a press conference on Tuesday that President Trump had invited him to the White House on September 29.
Why it matters: Relations between Israel and the new Syrian government have been tense, with Israel even bombing Damascus in July. The Trump administration has taken a friendlier approach toward Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who replaced Bashar al-Assad, quietly facilitating Israel-Syria diplomacy.
State of play: Syria has not yet responded to the Israeli proposal, submitted several weeks ago, and has been developing a counterproposal in recent weeks.
Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani are scheduled to discuss the proposal on Wednesday in London, alongside U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, who has been mediating between the two countries. This would mark the third trilateral meeting. Sources familiar with the talks say progress is being made, though no agreement appears imminent.
Flashback: The security agreement currently being negotiated is intended to replace the 1974 disengagement agreement between the countries. That pact became irrelevant after the collapse of the Assad regime and Israel’s occupation of the buffer zone on the Syrian side of the border.
Zoom in: According to two sources familiar with the details, the Israeli proposal draws on Israel’s 1979 peace agreement with Egypt, which divided the Sinai Peninsula into three zones — A, B, and C — with different security arrangements and levels of demilitarization based on proximity to the Israeli border.
Between the lines: The Israeli proposal represents maximalist demands, asking Syria to accept a broad demilitarized area and a no-fly zone on its territory, while maintaining the status quo on the Israeli side of the border.
Under the plan, the area southwest of Damascus would be divided into three zones, allowing Syria to maintain different levels of forces and types of weaponry depending on the zone. The proposal also calls for a 2 km extension of the buffer zone on the Syrian side.
In the strip adjacent to the buffer zone and closest to the Israeli border, military forces and heavy weapons would be prohibited, though Syria could maintain police and internal security forces. A source familiar with the details said the entire area from southwest Damascus to the Israeli border would be designated a no-fly zone for Syrian aircraft.
In exchange for these limitations on the Syrian side, Israel has proposed a gradual withdrawal from all territories it has occupied in Syria over recent months, except for an outpost on the summit of the strategic Mt. Hermon. A senior Israeli official said Israel insists on maintaining a presence there under any future agreement.
The intrigue: A key element of the Israeli proposal is maintaining an aerial corridor to Iran via Syria, which would allow for potential future Israeli strikes in Iran.
What to watch: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed interest in arranging a meeting with al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly at the end of September, though an Israeli official noted the likelihood of that meeting remains low. Netanyahu also said at a press conference on Tuesday that President Trump had invited him to the White House on September 29.