Damascus, Washington working on 'security agreement' with Israel over southern Syria

Damascus and Washington are working on a "security agreement" with Israel, as part of a plan to pacify the predominantly Druze province of Sweida in southern Syria, according to Syrian diplomatic sources.

“The United States, in consultation with the Syrian government, will work on a security agreement with Israel over southern Syria, which will address the legitimate security concerns of both Syria and Israel, while stressing Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” wrote the Syrian Foreign Affairs Ministry in a statement.

Earlier on Tuesday, a Syrian government official told AFP that Syrian forces had withdrawn their heavy weapons from the south of the country. Israel is calling for the establishment of a demilitarized zone in southern neighboring Syria, and had bombed Damascus in July, saying it wanted to protect the Druze minority in that region, where intercommunal violence has occurred. According to the military official, who requested anonymity, Syrian forces “have withdrawn their heavy weapons from all of the south” of Syria in an operation that began “two months ago.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had stated at the end of August that his country was holding discussions to establish a demilitarized zone in southern Syria.

A diplomat in the Syrian capital, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP that the withdrawal of heavy weapons applied to an area extending from the southern border, with Israel and Jordan, to “ten kilometers south of Damascus.” Israel and Syria have technically been at war for decades.

Roadmap

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes against military positions in Syria and conducted incursions into the south, saying it wanted to prevent the regime’s arsenal from falling into the hands of the new Islamist authorities. These authorities have not responded, and the interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, said Friday that his country was engaged in negotiations with Israel to reach a security agreement.

Representatives of both countries have already met, and according to the diplomat, a new round of talks is scheduled for Friday in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Last month, Syrian state media reported a meeting in Paris between Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer to discuss de-escalation and the situation in Sweida province.

Since a cease-fire that ended a week of clashes in July, the province has remained unstable, with the eponymous city in the hands of Druze fighters and its surroundings controlled by government forces.

On Tuesday, Shaibani announced at a press conference a plan supported by the United States and neighboring Jordan to pacify the province.

“The Syrian government has developed a clear roadmap” that includes several steps such as “the prosecution of those responsible for attacks against civilians” in coordination with the U.N., “compensation for victims” and “launching an internal reconciliation process,” he said.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, who attended the press conference alongside U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, stated that “a joint Syrian-Jordanian-American mechanism” would monitor the plan’s implementation.

‘Historic measures’

Fighting in July pitted Druze fighters against Sunni Bedouins, but escalated with the intervention of government forces and tribes from other regions.

Damascus claims its troops were tasked with ending the violence. But eyewitnesses, Druze factions, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) have accused them of siding with the Bedouins and committing abuses against the Druze.

The violence has left more than 2,000 dead, including 789 Druze civilians “executed” by members of the defense and interior ministries, according to SOHR. Shaibani also stated that the plan included “clarifying the fate of the missing and the release of hostages.” SOHR has recorded 516 Druze abducted since the outbreak of violence on July 14.

For his part, Barrack hailed “historic measures” taken by the Syrian government, seeing in them “a commitment to bring together different cultures and religions within one nation.”

One of the main Druze spiritual leaders in Syria, Hikmat al-Hijri, had called for Israel’s help and last month advocated for the creation of a “separate” region for this minority.

On Tuesday morning, Damascus announced the creation of the position of “chief of internal security” for the city of Sweida, assigned to the leader of a local Druze armed group considered favorable to the authorities.