A new round of talks between an Israeli and Syrian delegation is planned for Monday in Paris under the auspices of US special representative for the Middle East Tom Barak, the pan-Arab newspaper Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat reported.
According to the newspaper, the parties will resume dialogue that was interrupted two months ago, with the aim of reaching a security agreement that will replace the previous 1974 agreement to disengage Israeli and Syrian forces from the Golan Heights. The new document will provide for the demilitarization of southern Syria in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from areas south of Damascus occupied in December last year.
The delegations to the Paris meetings will be led by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Sheibani and Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter. Previously, the chief Israeli negotiator was former Strategic Planning Minister Ron Dermer, who resigned in early November after leading five rounds of meetings.
According to the publication, the Trump administration is pushing for Israel and Syria to sign a non-aggression pact, which would pave the way for normalizing bilateral relations after a long period of hostility. Washington is pushing for the Arab Republic to join the Abraham Accords, concluded in 2020-2021 with US mediation between a group of Arab states and Israel.
Syrian-Israeli talks began in July 2025, but were subsequently suspended due to Dermer's resignation and events in the southern Druze province of As-Suwayda. Damascus has accused the Jewish state of interfering and supporting separatist forces led by radical Druze Sheikh Hikmet al-Hajari, who are opposed to government forces.