The United States, Israel, and Syria announced in a joint statement issued by the U.S. State Department on Tuesday that Syrian and Israeli representatives had reached an understanding during U.S.-brokered talks held in Paris to establish a contact mechanism for coordination on security, intelligence, and commercial matters.
The mechanism will operate under U.S. oversight, according to the statement, with the aim of “facilitating immediate and ongoing coordination on intelligence sharing, military de-escalation, diplomatic engagement, and commercial opportunities.”
A Syrian official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity, that the talks held on Monday and Tuesday concluded with an initiative to suspend all Israeli military activity against Syria.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli side at the time of writing on whether it had agreed to suspend military operations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the talks focused on security issues and economic cooperation between the two countries.
Axios reported, citing a U.S. official, that during the Paris meeting Washington proposed the establishment of a joint U.S.- Israeli – Syrian mechanism in Amman, Jordan, for sharing intelligence and coordinating military de-escalation under United States supervision in southern Syria and host further talks on disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
According to Axios, each side would send representatives to the dedicated communication cell to focus on diplomatic, military, intelligence, and commercial discussions.
“The coordination cell will be the engine of the process, and the United States will be the permanent mediator,” the U.S. official said, according to the report.
Axios added that the proposed economic zone would include wind farms, an agricultural sector, “the best ski resort in the Middle East,” and the Druze community, known for its hospitality.
The U.S. official said regional partners had already committed to financing the project, but declined to name any countries.
This marks the fifth round of U.S.-mediated talks between Syria and Israel, and the first in about two months after negotiations had stalled. Axios reported that the talks resumed after U.S. President Donald Trump urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to return to the negotiating table.
Israel’s N12 news site cited Netanyahu’s office as saying that “the dialogue took place within the framework of President Trump’s vision to advance peace in the Middle East, during which Israel emphasized the importance of ensuring the security of its citizens and preventing threats along its borders.”
Netanyahu’s office said Israel “renewed its commitment to strengthening regional stability and security, and to enhancing economic cooperation in a way that benefits both countries.” It added that the sides agreed to continue dialogue to advance shared objectives and safeguard the security of Syria’s Druze minority.
At the same time, Reuters reported that Damascus believes any agreement must include the reactivation of the 1974 disengagement agreement and the withdrawal of Israeli forces to positions held before December 2024. Israel, for its part, has said its military presence is temporary and tied to security considerations.
A Syrian official told Reuters on Tuesday, again speaking on condition of anonymity, that it would be impossible to move to “any strategic files” in talks with Israel without a clear and binding timetable for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Syrian territory seized after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
