Israel and Syria to resume security talks in Baku

Israel and Syria are set to meet in Azerbaijan on Thursday for a new round of security talks, with discussions centred on an Israeli proposal for a buffer-zone agreement modelled on the 1979 peace treaty with Egypt, according to Sky News Arabia.

The talks in Baku follow reports by Axios that Israel has presented Damascus with a draft agreement involving security arrangements southwest of the Syrian capital.

According to informed sources, the proposal mirrors Israel’s peace deal with Egypt, which divided the Sinai Peninsula into three demilitarised zones. Israel has suggested that Syrian territory from Damascus to the Israeli border be divided into three areas with varying limits on troop deployments and weaponry.

The plan also calls for a two-kilometre expansion of the existing buffer zone on the Syrian side. In the strip adjacent to the Israeli border, Syrian forces would be barred from deploying heavy weapons or aircraft but could maintain police and internal security units. The entire southwest sector would become a no-fly zone for Syrian aircraft, sources said.

In return, Israel has offered a phased withdrawal from territories it occupied in Syria in recent months, though it insists on retaining its position on Mount Hermon. One source told Axios the proposal is also designed to preserve Israel’s ability to use Syrian airspace as a corridor for potential strikes against Iran.

Damascus has yet to issue a formal response but is preparing a counter-proposal, according to the reports. Syrian Foreign Minister Asad al-Sheibani and Israel’s Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer are expected to review the plan on Wednesday in London, alongside U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, at what would be their third trilateral session.

Axios further reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signalled interest in meeting Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa during the Unted Nations General Assembly later this month, though officials say the chances of such a meeting remain slim.

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