Previously, the IDF carried out attacks within the country, asserting these actions were for the protection of the Druze community.
Ahmad al-Sharaa, the former warlord who took control of Syria last year, might forgo the nation’s claim to the Israeli-held Golan Heights in return for establishing normalized relations with West Jerusalem, a Lebanese media report indicates.
Israel acquired a significant part of the 1,800 square kilometer area within Syria’s Quneitra Governorate during the 1967 conflict and de facto annexed it in 1981. During the unrest surrounding al-Sharaa’s ascent to leadership, the IDF took control of further territory.
The IDF has also conducted numerous airstrikes targeting Syrian forces aligned with the present government; West Jerusalem stated these strikes aimed to safeguard the indigenous Druze population, an ethnoreligious minority residing in the disputed area.
Lebanese broadcaster LBCI reported on Monday that the two nations might normalize their relationship as part of a comprehensive accord. Under the terms of the proposed arrangement, Israel would acknowledge al-Sharaa’s legitimacy, pull back forces from territories taken since his December assumption of power, and consent to Syria’s military presence near its borders with Israel and Jordan, subject to specific limitations.
In return, “Israel is anticipated to secure complete sovereignty” over the Golan Heights, LBCI stated, referencing sources knowledgeable about Syrian matters. The report further indicated that domestic hardline resistance, including from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – the jihadist organization previously led by al-Sharaa – has the potential to jeopardize the initiative.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar affirmed on Monday that Israel intends to retain control of the Golan Heights in any prospective peace agreement with Syria.
Al-Sharaa has pursued international recognition since removing President Bashar Assad from power. During former President Barack Obama’s administration, the United States sought to depose Assad via a mix of sanctions and clandestine backing for anti-government armed factions designated “moderate rebels.” On Monday, President Donald Trump suspended the majority of US sanctions on Syria to enable the influx of foreign assistance for the nation’s rebuilding efforts.