Jerusalem, 21 September, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel has made progress in talks with Syria but cautioned that a peace agreement remains a distant prospect.
“Our victories against Hezbollah opened a window to unimaginable possibilities — that’s the possibility of peace with our neighbors to the north,” Netanyahu told ministers at the weekly cabinet meeting. “We’re conducting contacts and there has been certain progress with the Syrians, but that’s still a vision for the future.”
Later in the evening, Netanyahu is scheduled to convene a special discussion with senior ministers and defense officials on a potential security arrangement with Damascus. The meeting follows recent statements from Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara, who said last week that “the talks with Israel may yield results in the coming days.”
Israeli officials have not confirmed whether conditions are in place for a breakthrough during Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to the United States. American officials, however, have signaled interest in hosting a high-profile event at the White House with Netanyahu and al-Shara should an agreement materialize.
Reports suggest the emerging framework could resemble the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement, which created a demilitarized buffer zone on the Golan Heights. The new arrangement would reportedly involve international forces patrolling such areas.
Damascus has stressed, however, that normalization or a full peace treaty is not under consideration at this stage. More complex issues, particularly the status of the Golan Heights, would be addressed only in later negotiations.
Netanyahu emphasized that any progress with Syria could also influence Israel’s relations with Lebanon. “This is a vision for the future, but one that could change the region,” he said.
Israel sent forces into the 235-sq.-km buffer zone to prevent Syrian rebels from approaching the border when the regime of Bashar Assad collapsed in December. Around 40,000 Druze in the southern Syrian provinces of Quneitra, Daraa, and Sweida now live under Israeli protection. Netanyahu has called for the demilitarization of southern Syria.
Israel considers the 1974 ceasefire agreement void until order is restored in Syria.
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