Hebrew Media: Israel Fears U.S. Pressure to Withdraw from Mount Sheikh in Syria

SadaNews - The Hebrew newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth" reported that Israel fears potential pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to withdraw from the Mount Sheikh area in southern Syria, which it occupied after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. The newspaper observed Israeli bulldozers advancing on the road leading to the summit of Mount Sheikh, at an altitude of 2,800 meters, to participate in restoration works at two military sites, suggesting that this winter season will not be the last for the Israeli army in that area. It added: "In Washington and Damascus, they might think otherwise, especially after the historic reception of (Syrian President) Ahmad al-Shara at the White House." It pointed out that recent communications between Damascus and Tel Aviv "have not yet borne fruit," referring to the meetings between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani and former Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer in Paris and London. Regarding those meetings, the newspaper stated that their goal is to reach a new agreement that would replace the 1974 disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria, which Tel Aviv declared collapsed unilaterally after the fall of Assad's regime. "Yedioth Ahronoth" did not specify the possible terms of the new agreement but stated: "We are not talking about a normalization agreement, nor a peace agreement that fulfills the dreams of many Israelis to eat hummus in Damascus." The newspaper noted Israeli fears that Trump might pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the withdrawal from Mount Sheikh, which Tel Aviv occupied after the fall of Assad's regime. It said that the Israeli security establishment is urging Netanyahu not to withdraw from Mount Sheikh, as it allows Tel Aviv "wide monitoring of the occupied Golan and the smuggling routes of weapons from Syria to Lebanon," according to the newspaper. Al-Shara arrived in Washington on Sunday for a historic visit, the first by a Syrian president since the country gained independence in 1946, and he met with President Trump at the White House on Monday. On Tuesday, al-Shara ruled out joining the "Abraham Accords" that involve normalization with Israel, expressing hope that the Trump administration would help his country reach a security agreement with Tel Aviv or revert to the 1974 agreement. Since 1967, Israel has occupied most of the Syrian Golan Heights, taking advantage of the events surrounding the ousting of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 to expand its occupation, including the Syrian buffer zone and Mount Sheikh, and has destroyed equipment, machinery, and ammunition of the Syrian army through hundreds of air raids. Although the Syrian government has posed no threat to Tel Aviv, the Israeli army has launched hundreds of airstrikes since the ousting of Assad, killing civilians and destroying military sites, equipment, and weapons of the army.