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Israel and Syria have agreed to establish a joint "fusion mechanism" for intelligence sharing and diplomatic coordination, marking a significant step in relations between the longtime adversaries, according to a statement released Tuesday.
The agreement, reached during senior-level meetings in Paris, will create a standing communication channel supervised by the United States to handle security exchanges, military de-escalation, diplomatic engagement, and commercial issues between Jerusalem and Damascus.
The United States will oversee the mechanism and ensure it "addresses disputes promptly" to prevent misunderstandings, the statement said. Washington hosted and mediated the Paris talks, commending what it called "positive steps" and pledging support for implementation as part of President Donald Trump's broader regional diplomatic initiative.
The American delegation included envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Tom Barrack, identified as the US envoy for Syria. Israel sent Ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter, the prime minister's Military Secretary Roman Gofman, and Acting National Security Council head Gil Reich. Syria was represented by Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani and Intelligence chief Hussein Salameh.
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Beyond security coordination, the parties agreed to launch discussions on civilian matters including medicine, energy, and agriculture. Officials did not specify when these talks would begin or when the fusion mechanism would become operational.
The communication cell is designed to coordinate security messages, facilitate diplomatic follow-up, and explore commercial opportunities under American supervision. The framework aims to reduce friction between the neighbors, who remain technically at war despite decades of largely frozen conflict along their border.
The Paris session follows months of US-brokered contacts between Israeli and Syrian officials. Previous reporting has documented quiet meetings in Paris under American oversight and an intensifying role for US envoy Barrack in facilitating dialogue. Syrian officials have signaled openness to resuming negotiations, according to regional reports.
The agreement represents a rare moment of formal coordination between Israel and Syria, whose relations have been hostile since Syria's participation in multiple Arab-Israeli wars. The countries have no diplomatic relations, and Syria does not recognize Israel's existence.
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