Internal Syrian opposition: Could Israel and Syria normalize relations soon?

Report by Toni Mrad, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

A headline that once seemed unimaginable—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus—could soon become reality.

Israeli media outlets reported ongoing indirect negotiations between Syria and Israel aimed at normalizing relations. Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi went a step further, suggesting that direct talks are already underway.

While the timeline for potential normalization remains unclear, with some speculating an accelerated process and others predicting delays into next year or beyond, sources familiar with Syrian affairs told LBCI that any breakthrough in relations between Damascus and Tel Aviv would not come without significant concessions.

Should negotiations move forward, the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa is expected to secure several key gains, most notably official Israeli recognition of Syria's new leadership. Relations between the two countries have been defined by hostility since Israel's establishment in 1948 and the subsequent Arab-Israeli conflicts.

Additional benefits for Syria may include a withdrawal of Israeli forces from territories occupied after December 8, 2024, the date Bashar Al-Assad's regime collapsed and al-Sharaa rose to power. 

Israel would also reportedly commit to halting its military operations in Syria and agreeing to a security arrangement for southern regions of the country, particularly near the occupied Golan Heights and the Jordanian border. These arrangements would likely regulate military and security activities in those sensitive areas.

Beyond Israeli concessions, Syria is also expected to receive backing from the United States, which is playing a key role in mediating the anticipated agreement as the U.S. would lift sanctions on Syria.

In return, Israel is expected to secure full sovereignty over the Golan Heights and the Shebaa Farms area, both of which have been under Israeli control since the 1967 Six-Day War. Israeli media reports also suggest the Golan Heights could be transformed into what some have described as a "Peace Park," a term interpreted by analysts as a potential deployment zone for international peacekeeping forces.

Despite diplomatic optimism from some quarters, observers warn that al-Sharaa's administration faces serious obstacles to pursuing normalization, among them internal Syrian opposition. 

Hardline factions, including leaders of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), who played a role in toppling the Assad regime, have rejected any rapprochement with Israel. They have also expressed dissatisfaction with al-Sharaa's government over its approach to religious minority protections and growing ties with Washington.

Adding to the tense political climate, reports surfaced of an alleged assassination attempt targeting al-Sharaa during his visit to Syria's Daraa province on June 6. 

While Syrian state media denied the incident, sources told LBCI that a joint operation between Syrian security forces and Turkish intelligence foiled the plot. According to those sources, the suspected mastermind—a member of a local ISIS cell from Daraa—was arrested a day before the president's scheduled visit.