US-brokered Syrian-Israeli deal on intelligence sharing and de-escalation
Shafaq News- Paris
Israel and Syria agreed to set up a communication mechanism to coordinate on security, intelligence, and commercial issues, the three sides said in a joint statement released on Tuesday by the US State Department.
Reuters cited a Syrian official who said it would not be possible to move forward on "strategic files" in talks with Israel without a binding, clear timeline for Israeli troop withdrawal from Syrian territory seized after the late 2024 toppling of Bashar Al-Assad.
The Syrian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, added that the latest round of talks with Israel in Paris, which took place on Monday and Tuesday, concluded with an initiative to suspend all Israeli military activities against Syria.
He accused Israel of stalling by using technicalities in the talks, and said it should abandon its "expansionist mentality" so that the talks could proceed.
The State Department statement said that both sides would use the communication mechanism to facilitate immediate and ongoing coordination on their intelligence sharing, military de-escalation, diplomatic engagement, and commercial opportunities under US supervision.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel had focused on security issues as well as Israel-Syria economic cooperation during the talks, adding that “both sides agreed to continue dialogue to advance shared objectives and safeguard the security of the Druze minority in Syria.”
Syrian state media reported that the discussions in Paris were focused on reviving a 1974 disengagement agreement that established a UN-monitored buffer zone between Israel and Syria after the 1973 war.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) documented 460 Israeli ground violations in southern Syria during 2025, mainly in Quneitra and Daraa provinces. According to the Observatory, these operations targeted civilians and infrastructure, increasing risks to human security and local stability.
Read more: Syria's shifting stance: Is normalization with Israel on the horizon?
