Israel, Syria Resume Security Talks in Paris

Senior Israeli and Syrian officials are meeting today in Paris to resume negotiations on a security agreement, marking the fifth round of talks between the two countries and the first in nearly two months, according to an Israeli official and another source with knowledge of the discussions.

The renewed talks are being pushed by the United States, which sees a potential security arrangement as a way to stabilize the Israel–Syria border and lay groundwork for possible future diplomatic normalization. The negotiations are being mediated by Tom Barrack, President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Syria, and are expected to continue over two days.

Previous rounds of talks broke down amid major disagreements between Israel and Syria, and after the resignation of Israel’s lead negotiator, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer. Officials say the renewed meetings are intended to restart a stalled process, with the focus limited to security arrangements rather than a wider political deal.

Ahead of the Paris meetings, Benjamin Netanyahu appointed a new Israeli negotiating team headed by Yechiel Leiter, a close confidant of the prime minister. The delegation also includes Netanyahu’s military adviser Roman Gofman, who has been nominated to lead the Mossad, and acting national security adviser Gil Reich. 

Syria is represented by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, according to the sources. Syrian participation is being framed as engagement on security arrangements, not as a step toward formal normalization with Israel.

The resumption of talks followed a direct request from Trump to Netanyahu during their meeting last week at Mar-a-Lago. After the meeting, Trump expressed confidence that the sides could reach an understanding, saying, “We do have an understanding regarding Syria. I’m sure that Israel and [Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara] will get along. I will try and make it so that they do get along, I think they will.”

Netanyahu agreed to resume negotiations but stressed that any agreement must preserve Israel’s security red lines, the Israeli official said. He later said it is in Israel’s interest to ensure a peaceful border with Syria and to protect the Druze minority in the country.

The talks come against the backdrop of Israel’s military presence in parts of southern Syria following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024. Israel said the move was intended to prevent terror groups from exploiting the security vacuum. IDF forces have since operated up to about 9 miles (15 kilometers) inside Syrian territory to secure weapons Israel says could pose a threat if seized by hostile forces.