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Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa revealed Thursday that his government is engaged in indirect negotiations with Israel through mediators, seeking to halt Israeli military operations in Syria and restore the 1974 disengagement agreement.
"There are indirect negotiations (with Israel) via mediators to calm and contain the situation so matters don't reach a point where both sides lose control," al-Sharaa said during a news conference in Paris.
The Syrian leader, who took office after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December, emphasized his government's diplomatic efforts to curb Israeli actions. "We are trying to speak to all the countries that are in contact with the Israeli side to pressure them to stop interfering in Syrian affairs," he said.
Al-Sharaa's statements come amid escalating Israeli military presence in southern Syria. Israel has conducted multiple strikes in recent months, claiming they target militant threats and prevent the reconstitution of military capabilities that could threaten Israeli security.
The Syrian president specifically called for Israel to respect the United Nations-brokered 1974 disengagement agreement and withdraw to established boundaries to allow the return of U.N. peacekeepers. This boundary separates Syria from Israel and the Golan Heights, which Israel captured in the 1967 war.
"The Israeli interventions have violated the 1974 agreement. Since we arrived in Damascus we stated to all relevant parties that Syria is committed to the 1974 agreement," al-Sharaa said.
Israel's military operations in Syria have expanded significantly since the Assad regime collapsed. What officials initially described as temporary operations have evolved, with Israeli officials now indicating their military will remain in Syria indefinitely. Israel has established a buffer zone in southern Syria, purportedly to protect Syria's Druze minority. On Wednesday, Israel Police announced that Border Police are now operating inside Syria for the first time.
Reports of potential back-channel negotiations emerged when Reuters claimed Wednesday that the United Arab Emirates had established communications between Israel and Syria. According to unnamed sources cited by Reuters, these talks focus on security, intelligence matters, and confidence building. Al-Sharaa visited the UAE last month.
However, Lana Nusseibeh, UAE assistant foreign minister for political affairs, firmly denied these reports. "The claim that the UAE is 'mediating secret talks' between Syria and Israel is categorically false. The UAE is not part of any such talks," she said.
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