Direct communication between Syria and Israel was halted after Israel attacked the Abu Zuhur Air Base in northern Idlib. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said the attack took place on August 18 and that Damascus had informed Israel that no Turkish base would be established in the area.
“We do not trust Israel at the moment,” Shibani said. He said communication with Israel was necessary because it involved maintaining contact with a party that constantly threatens Syria’s security, but added that they did not want to continue those contacts if they produced no results.
Expectations for security agreement negotiations
Shibani said they expected talks on a security agreement with Israel to resume soon. He said they hoped the agreement would contribute to the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Syrian territory and stressed that the door to diplomacy remained open.
Shibani said Syria’s priority was an end to Israeli attacks and the adoption of confidence-building measures. He said the negotiation process had stalled after the war between Iran and Israel and added that he hoped the talks would resume in the coming period.
According to Shibani, Damascus and Tel Aviv had agreed on most of the provisions of the security agreement proposed at the beginning of the year. The minister said the text covered nearly all elements of the agreement on paper.
Under the agreement, Israel would refrain from attacking Syria and interfering in the country’s internal affairs. It would also provide for an end to the attacks and the withdrawal of Israel from Syrian territories it took control of after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government.
The text also envisages the creation of several security zones near the border. Only United Nations forces would be present in one of these zones, while varying numbers of Syrian troops would be deployed in the others.
Shibani accused Israel of avoiding the completion of the agreement. He said they saw no genuine desire or will within the Tel Aviv administration to reach an agreement.
The Golan Heights and Damascus’s regional objectives
Shibani said the priority regarding the occupied Golan Heights was to halt Israeli attacks before reaching a security agreement. He said the Golan issue and peace could be addressed at later stages.
Shibani said the United States was continuously pressuring Israel to return to the negotiating table and reach an agreement with Syria. He reiterated Damascus’s goal of establishing stable relations with its regional surroundings.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa announced on July 26 that his country was working, with the participation of various countries, to sign a security agreement with Israel. Al-Sharaa said such an agreement could lay the groundwork for comprehensive peace, but added that Syria would not relinquish its claim to the occupied Golan Heights.
Israel has controlled most of the Golan Heights since 1967. After Bashar al-Assad’s government was overthrown in late 2024, Israel announced that the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement had become invalid. Israel also took control of several areas, including the buffer zone on the Syrian side and the Syrian side of Mount Hermon.
Shibani also said Syria continued to rely on Türkiye’s support in education and military cooperation, adding, “We will not give up this support.”
