Syria expects to resume negotiations with Israel, aiming for IDF withdrawal, foreign minister says

Syria hopes to resume peace talks with Israel soon, aiming to secure the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Syrian territory, according to a top Syrian minister. Speaking in a Reuters interview in Damascus, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani expressed hope that the door for diplomacy is now open. Shaibani stressed that halting Israeli attacks is Syria's top priority, while also advocating for confidence-building measures.

The US has been pursuing a security deal between Israel and Syria for over a year, but Israel's military actions and territorial seizure have hindered progress. Shaibani noted that negotiations were frozen after the Iran war began, but he anticipates their resumption. Contact between Syria and Israel was severed following an Israeli airbase strike, and the Syrian foreign minister expressed no trust in Israel currently.

Israel has previously described Syria's new rulers as "barely disguised jihadists" and has seized territory in southwest Syria, citing the need to protect its citizens. Despite these tensions, the US continues to pressure Israel to return to dialogue.