Is a security agreement between Syria and Israel approaching? Predictions on a meeting between Al-Chaar and Netanyahu

Is the signing of a first security agreement between Syria and Israel imminent?

The Israeli channel i24 News reported that a Syrian source close to President Ahmed Al-Chaar stated that talks between Israel and Syria on a security agreement have made significant progress in recent weeks, with the possibility of a near-term signing.

The source attributed this recent breakthrough to the substantial efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump.

According to the same outlet, the agreement — which would include a diplomatic annex — is likely to be signed during a high-level Syrian-Israeli meeting in a European country in the near future.

The Syrian source did not rule out the possibility of a direct signing during a meeting between Al-Chaar and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Last month, Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Al-Sheibani stated that Damascus expects to reach a security agreement with Israel based on the 1974 ceasefire agreement, with minor modifications and no buffer zones, by the end of the year.

Israel, for its part, rejects Syria’s demand for the withdrawal from all positions held by the Israeli army in Syria following the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Israeli sources indicate that the Israeli army would only withdraw from some of the nine positions it currently controls in Syrian territory in exchange for a full peace agreement with Syria, not merely a security agreement.