Sources have claimed that discussions broke down over West Jerusalem’s territorial demands
Negotiations between Israel and Syria have “hit a last-minute snag” over the former’s demand that it be allowed a secure conduit on Syrian territory, several Reuters sources have said.
Israel had asked to open a “humanitarian corridor” to Sweida province to deliver aid, but Damascus rejected the request as a breach of its sovereignty, Reuters wrote on Friday. Israeli forces invaded southern Syria after the fall of the Bashar Assad government in December.
According to Syrian and US sources, it was West Jerusalem’s demand that derailed the deal.
Earlier on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the countries had begun talks.
”Israel’s victories over the Iranian terror axis have opened up possibilities of peace that were unthinkable two years ago. Take Syria, today we have begun serious negotiations with the new Syrian government,” the PM said.
In recent weeks, Damascus and West Jerusalem had come close to agreeing on the broad outlines of a pact after months of US-brokered discussions. US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said on Tuesday that they were already close to striking a “de-escalation” agreement.
Under the terms, Israel would stop its attacks while Syria would agree not to place any machinery or heavy equipment near the Israeli border. A demilitarized zone would include the province of Sweida, where hundreds of people from the Druze community were killed in recent months.
The talks come as Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose forces ousted Assad, made a landmark visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. He voiced hope for a security agreement, adding that Damascus is not “creating problems for Israel.” “We are scared of Israel, not the other way around,” he claimed.
Sharaa also downplayed prospects for a more historic agreement in which Syria would recognize Israel.
West Jerusalem, which has a 120,000-strong Druze minority whose men serve in the Israeli military, has said it will protect Druze in Syria and carried out military strikes under the banner of defending them.
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