Talks advance in Azerbaijan: Israel and Syria prepare for next diplomatic step with draft deal in hand

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

What was once considered improbable now seems inevitable: an official agreement between Israel and Syria is reportedly nearing conclusion. 

The once-theoretical question of whether a deal could be struck has now shifted to when it will be signed.

Unprecedented optimism is emerging from Israeli sources following the first round of talks held in Azerbaijan between high-level security delegations from both nations. 

The Israeli team, composed of senior military officers, intelligence officials, and representatives from the Prime Minister's office, sat across from a Syrian delegation led by key security figures.

Discussions centered on a proposed Israeli withdrawal from areas of southern Syria that were occupied following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime. These negotiations are seen as a precursor to a formal diplomatic meeting, expected to take place in Brussels, between Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani.

According to Israeli insiders familiar with the talks in Azerbaijan, a draft of a security agreement is already prepared. 

The Israeli side reportedly presented its vision for a phased withdrawal while insisting on the creation of a buffer zone starting from the 1974 disengagement line. The size and extent of this buffer zone remain under negotiation, with Israel citing security concerns and the need to prevent infiltration by hostile elements.

The most significant component of the emerging agreement is reportedly the establishment of joint border security coordination between the two countries.

Despite the breakthrough in negotiations, Israel has made clear that it will not relinquish the Golan Heights, which it captured in 1967. Instead, Israeli officials are said to be positioning the territory as a stabilizing asset in support of Syria's new leadership under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Sources close to the talks suggest that much of the groundwork for the current progress was laid even before al-Sharaa assumed power in Damascus. 

According to reports, an understanding was reached among the key international stakeholders in Syria—including Russia, Turkey, the United States, and Israel—that the smooth transfer of power to al-Sharaa would be contingent upon his willingness to pursue an agreement with Israel.

On the military front, separate meetings are believed to have taken place in recent months in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights between Israeli officers and Syrian officials. These back-channel discussions reportedly involved Ahmad al-Dallati, who is currently leading the Syrian delegation in Azerbaijan.