Israel Offers Syria Security Agreement Including Disarmament Map South of Damascus

SadaNews - Israel presented Syria a detailed proposal for a security agreement several weeks ago, which includes a map according to its conditions regarding security arrangements and disarmament in the area extending from southwestern Damascus to the border area in the occupied Golan Heights, according to Israeli Channel 12 on Tuesday evening. The report noted that Damascus has not yet responded to Tel Aviv's proposal, while Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer is preparing to hold a meeting in London on Wednesday with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shibani and U.S. envoy Tom Barak to discuss the proposal. According to the channel, this meeting will be the third between Dermer and Al-Shibani under the auspices of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, while the channel quoted informed sources on the details saying that "the talks are progressing but more time is needed to reach an agreement." The channel indicated that the ongoing negotiations aim to replace the disengagement agreement signed between the two sides in 1974, which Netanyahu declared collapsed and that Israel has not committed to since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime last December. The channel added that the Israeli proposal is based on principles similar to those adopted in the peace agreement with Egypt, where Sinai was divided into three areas (A, B, C) with different security arrangements according to their proximity to the border with Israel. According to sources, the area located southwest of Damascus will be divided into three regions, each specifying the type and size of forces allowed to be deployed and the nature of the weapons that Syria may retain. The proposal also states that the buffer zone on the border will be expanded by an additional two kilometers from the Syrian side, preventing the deployment of the Syrian army or heavy weapons in the area closest to the border, while only police and internal security forces are permitted. An informed source mentioned that "the Israeli proposal stipulates that the entire area from southwest Damascus to the border with Israel will be a no-fly zone for the Syrian air force," noting that one of the central principles is "maintaining an air corridor for Iran through Syria that allows for future strikes if needed." In return, Israel offered a gradual withdrawal from all Syrian lands it occupied except for the summit area of Mount Sheikh in Syria. The channel quoted an Israeli official as saying that "Israel stipulates maintaining its presence at the summit of Mount Sheikh in any future agreement." The channel noted that Israel is seeking to hold a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings at the end of September, but it pointed out that "the likelihood of holding the meeting is still low at this stage."