Israel Syria

Reporter’s Notebook: The threat along Syrian buffer zone is far from over for Israel

For now, there appears to be little appetite to withdraw from the buffer zone, largely because of lingering questions over whether Syria’s new president is truly capable of controlling the country.

The Israel Ministry of Defense’s National Mine Action Authority (INMAA) clears minefields with the assistance of sappers from 4M Defense Mine Solutions in the northern Golan Heights near the Syrian border, April 28, 2026.
 (L-R) Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on the backdrop of Syrian and Israeli flags (illustrative)

US believes Israel-Syria normalization chances before Knesset elections 'very slim,' source to Post

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa gestures outside 10 Downing Street, after meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in London, Britain March 31, 2026.

Israel refused normalization with Syria at last minute, says Al-Sharaa

‘AN INTERIM agreement that could one day make it possible to sip hot chocolate in a lodge at the base of a bunny hill on the Syrian half of Mount Hermon is something that may be within reach.’ Here, the first snow this winter hits Mount Hermon in Syria, as seen from the northern Golan Heights, near

Donald Trump reimagines Israel's border with Syria, from buffer zones to bunny slopes


Syrian leader says talks with Israel underway on disengagement agreement

Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara’a said talks with Israel aim to restore the 1974 disengagement terms, as Damascus balances outreach to the US, Russia, and regional states.

 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, with a map of the Middle East (Illustrative).

Airstrikes, cautious diplomacy: Israel and Syria draw closer - opinion

Cautious diplomacy will continue to guide Israeli-Syrian relations.

SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER Asaad al-Shaibani attends the Munich Security Conference earlier this year. Reportedly, he has met more than once with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, the writer notes.

Israel dismantles Turkish spying devices in Syria - report

An Israeli official confirmed that, during the recent operations in Syria, the military dismantled devices used by Turkey to spy on Israel.

AN IDF APC enters Syria at the ceasefire line (illustrative).

Israel considers exchanging Mt. Dov in exchange for Syria giving up claims to Golan Heights - KAN

The report noted that the trade talks halted after several Syrian Druze civilians were killed in Sweida last month. The Prime Minister's Office denied the report, calling it "fake news."

 IDF operating in Mount Dov area, published November 23, 2024

Bearing the cost of war: How Israel's resilience will cement it as a regional power - opinion

Sometimes, there is no escape from decisions that constitute historical gambles, but one must remember that the most important virtue in the game among nations is prudence.

 A WALL PAINTING of ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in Damascus is damaged. The fall of the regime opened the way for the Israel Air Force to attack Iran, but Turkey also exploited the vacuum to install its proxy, says the writer.

Syrian foreign minister met Israeli delegation for regional stability talks - SANA

The discussions between the Israeli and Syrian sides focused on de-escalation and non-interference in Syrian domestic affairs.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani looks on during a meeting with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Amman, Jordan August 12, 2025.

Inside Syria’s struggles: Jonathan Spyer on conflict, Israel’s strategy, and reintegration

In a conversation with Jonathan Spyer, expert on Syria, we explore the latest flare-ups of violence, Israel's strategic role, and the challenges of reintegrating a fractured nation.

Bedouin families ride on a vehicle as they leave the village of Al-Mazraa, as residents reported calm in Syria's Sweida on Sunday after the Islamist-led government announced that Bedouin fighters had withdrawn from the predominantly Druze city, Sweida, Syira, July 21, 2025.

Netanyahu, Druze spiritual leader meet in Jerusalem amid Syria ceasefire

This meeting comes ahead of Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer's meeting with US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Paris.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Druze leader Sheikh Muwafaq Tarif at the Prime Minster’s Office in Jerusalem on July 24, 2025.

The forgotten slaughter of Syria’s Druze, and Israel’s moral response - opinion

The slaughter of the Druze in Syria may not trend. It may not lead the news. But it matters. And Israel's response shows what it means to refuse to let others suffer alone.

A Druze boy holds a flag as he looks at the ceasefire line between Golan Heights and Syria, on the day of first visit by Druze delegation from Syria just after 1973 war in Israel, March 14, 2025.

Israel’s message in defending the Druze goes beyond borders, wanting to correct history - analysis

While strategic considerations were still in play, the heart of the decision lay in defending the extended family of Israel’s own Druze—a gesture shaped as much by kinship as by security.

 Bedouin fighters ride motocycles, following renewed fighting between Bedouin fighters and Druze gunmen, despite an announced truce, in Sweida, Syria July 18, 2025.