Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pursuing US-mediated negotiations with Syria’s new leadership, Axios reports, citing Israeli officials.
The goal: a revised security pact and, eventually, a peace agreement—the first direct engagement since 2011.
The move follows major shifts in the region after Islamist leader Ahmad al-Sharaa replaced the Assad regime. Israel, once wary of al-Sharaa’s close ties to Turkey, reassessed its position after US President Donald Trump met al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia and lifted sanctions on Syria.
Netanyahu raised the idea with US Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack during a meeting last week. Israeli officials said the talks could start with a non-aggression pact and evolve into a formal treaty based on the 1974 disengagement agreement, but adapted to today’s strategic realities.