Diplomacy · Damascus and Golan Heights
Syria's Al-Sharaa pushes for security deal with Israel without conceding Golan Heights claim
Ahmed al-Sharaa told Al Jazeera Syria is working with a group of states on a border security arrangement that he said could pave the way to broader peace, while UN chief António Guterres demanded Israel halt violations of the 1974 disengagement accord.
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In brief
Al-Sharaa told Al Jazeera on 26 July 2026 that Syria is working with multiple states on a security arrangement with Israel that could lead to comprehensive peace.
António Guterres, in Syria for the first UN chief visit since 2009, called Israeli breaches of the 1974 disengagement accord unacceptable and said the Golan Heights are Syrian territory.
Israel and Syria set up a US-supervised channel in early January to coordinate intelligence, security and trade, with security talks confirmed as early as September 2025.
Al-Sharaa said no military interventions in Lebanon are being considered, distancing his government from Hezbollah, an Iran-backed enemy during the civil war.
Al-Sharaa said the push for a security deal does not mean abandoning Syria's claim to the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel since 1967 and annexed in 1981.
- Sep 2025Both sides confirm talks on regulating troop presence at the border.
- Jan 2026US-supervised communication channel established for intelligence, security and trade coordination.
- 26 Jul 2026Al-Sharaa tells Al Jazeera Syria is seeking a security agreement with Israel via a group of states.
The proposal
Syrian transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa said his government is actively seeking a security agreement with Israel, working with several other countries to achieve it. In an interview with Al Jazeera on 26 July 2026, he said such a deal could lead to comprehensive peace between the two states, which have officially been at war since 1948 and never signed a peace treaty. The arrangement would regulate the presence of Syrian and Israeli troops and security forces in the border area. Al-Sharaa stressed the effort does not mean Syria is abandoning its claim to the Golan Heights.
Regional posture
Al-Sharaa said his government is not considering any military interventions in Lebanon. The statement comes after US President Trump had called on Syria to "deal with" Hezbollah. The Iran-backed Lebanese militia and al-Sharaa were adversaries during the Syrian civil war.
UN pushback
The interview coincided with the first visit by a UN Secretary-General to Syria since 2009. António Guterres called for respect of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity. He declared Israeli violations of the 1974 disengagement agreement unacceptable and demanded they stop. On Sunday, Israeli forces shelled areas in Syria and destroyed a transformer, according to the Syrian state agency Sana.
“I want to remind the international community that the Golan Heights are Syrian territory.”
The communication channel
Israel and Syria agreed in early January 2026 to establish a communication channel under US supervision. It was meant to coordinate intelligence, security and trade matters, resolve disputes and avoid misunderstandings. In September 2025, both sides confirmed talks on a security arrangement governing troop deployments at the border.
Post-Assad reality
After a rebel alliance led by al-Sharaa's Sunni Islamist HTS militia ousted President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Israeli forces moved into Syria, occupying strategic areas including the UN-demilitarised zone on Syrian territory and the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, which overlooks Damascus. Israel said it acted to prevent a security vacuum on its northern border and to stop Iran-backed militias or Islamist groups from settling there. Israeli forces continue to strike targets inside Syria to destroy weapons depots and military equipment.
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Sources and context
- N-tvRegelung für Grenzgebiet: Syriens Übergangspräsident will Abkommen mit Israel
- DIE WELTSyriens Präsident: "Wir vermeiden Konfrontationen" - Al-Scharaa will Sicherheitsabkommen mit Israel
- watson.ch/Syriens Übergangspräsident bemüht sich um Vereinbarung mit Israel
- ZEIT ONLINEKrieg in Nahost: Syriens Regierung strebt Sicherheitsabkommen mit Israel an
- Ahmed al-Sharaa
- Syria's transitional president, former leader of the HTS rebel alliance that ousted Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
- António Guterres
- United Nations Secretary-General, made his first visit to Syria since 2009 on the weekend of 26 July 2026.
- Places
- Damascus, Washington, D.C.
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