Washington – Al-Monitor reported on Tuesday that Syria and Israel have been engaged in secret indirect talks that include proposals to involve U.S. troops along the Golan Heights ceasefire line, as part of a possible update to the 1974 disengagement agreement.
According to the report, the consultations are currently taking place through intelligence and diplomatic backchannels. They focus on drafting a gradual security arrangement rather than negotiating a comprehensive peace treaty.
Qatar and Saudi Arabia are reportedly mediating these discreet discussions, while Washington has signaled its willingness to exert diplomatic pressure to help push the talks forward.
Al-Monitor noted that if no agreement is reached, an alternative plan under consideration would revise the current ceasefire mechanism by adjusting the role of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) and reviewing the deployment of Syrian forces near the Golan line; either reinforcing or withdrawing troops to reflect the region’s shifting balance of power.
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In a related development, Axios reported on Monday that the U.S. has held early-stage talks with both Israel and Syria on a possible security arrangement. While these contacts fall short of a full normalization process, they aim to ease tensions and modernize security frameworks along the Israel-Syria border.
An Israeli official told Axios that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has informed U.S. envoy to Syria Thomas Barak of Israel’s interest in pursuing a security deal with Damascus, with Washington acting as a primary mediator.
According to the official, the envisioned approach would involve a series of incremental agreements, starting with an updated version of the 1974 disengagement agreement and potentially leading toward a comprehensive peace deal and normalization of ties.
