Netanyahu Holds 'Critical' Meeting on Security Agreement with Syria on Sunday

SadaNews - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to hold a meeting described as "critical" tomorrow evening, Sunday, with prominent ministers and heads of security agencies, to discuss the course of negotiations with Syria regarding a new security agreement, according to Israeli media.

The US administration is exerting pressure on Israel to reduce gaps with Damascus in the ongoing negotiations, amidst talk of "relative progress"; however, the agreement is still "not mature" at this point, as reported by Israel's Public Broadcasting Corporation ("Kan 11") citing informed sources.

The administration of US President Donald Trump is seeking to achieve a breakthrough in the negotiations between Tel Aviv and Damascus during the upcoming session of the United Nations General Assembly, which begins on September 23rd and concludes on Monday, September 29th.

This comes as Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Shibani has been in Washington since last Thursday, preparing for a visit described as historic for Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara, to the United Nations headquarters. Al-Shara is scheduled to meet with Trump next Monday before delivering his speech at the General Assembly on Wednesday.

Al-Shara had stated last Wednesday that "talks between Syria and Israel regarding a security agreement could yield results in the coming days". Nevertheless, there remain fundamental issues unresolved, and it is still unclear how they will be addressed in the expected understandings.

He clarified that "peace and normalization with Israel are not on the table at the current stage", emphasizing that any agreement of this kind must include respect for Syrian airspace and the unity of Syrian territory, and should be subject to United Nations monitoring.