DEMASCUS / ISTANBUL

Syrian media said Monday that a government delegation is taking part in a new round of negotiations with Israel, in coordination and mediation by the US.

A government source told the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that the delegation is headed by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and intelligence chief Hussein al-Salama.

“The resumption of talks reaffirms Syria’s firm commitment to restoring its non-negotiable national rights,” the source said.

He said the talks are primarily focused on reactivating the 1974 Disengagement Agreement “to ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the lines in place prior to Dec. 8, 2024.”

“This will take place within a reciprocal security agreement that prioritizes full Syrian sovereignty and guarantees the prevention of any form of interference in Syria’s internal affairs,” the source said.

Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian, however, claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is interested in establishing peaceful borders with Syria.

“I cannot disclose anything regarding this matter at this time,” she said regarding the ongoing talks with Syria and whether Tel Aviv is prepared to withdraw from areas it seized in the buffer zone.

Netanyahu “emphasized the importance of ensuring protection for our Druze brothers and sisters in Syria, as well as for other religious minorities, including the Christian community there,” Bedrosian claimed.

There was no immediate comment from the US on the report.

On Sunday, the US news website Axios reported that senior Israeli and Syrian officials are set to meet in Paris on Monday, with US mediation, to resume negotiations in hopes of reaching a new security agreement.

The site, citing an Israeli official, said that the Trump administration is pressing both Israel and Syria for a deal that would stabilize the security situation on their border “and potentially be the first step toward future diplomatic normalization.”

The new talks mark the first meeting between the two sides in about two months and represent the fifth round of negotiations.

The Israeli army has carried out repeated incursions into Syrian territory since the fall of Bashar al-Assad regime in late 2024, actions that Damascus has strongly condemned.