---
title: 'US-Mediated Syria-Israel Talks Resume in Paris, Damascus Calls for Israeli Pullback'
url: 'https://thediplomaticinsight.com/us-mediated-syria-israel-talks-resume-in-paris/'
author: 'Minahil Khurshid'
date: '2026-01-06T14:48:40+05:00'
categories:
  - 'Middle East'
---

# US-Mediated Syria-Israel Talks Resume in Paris, Damascus Calls for Israeli Pullback

**Paris (TDI): **US-mediated talks between Syria and Israel have resumed in Paris after several months of interruption, as Damascus presses for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from territories seized following the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. 

Two diplomatic sources told *AFP* that the renewed discussions, coordinated by the United States, mark a fresh push by Washington to ease tensions between the two long-time adversaries, who have technically remained at war since 1948.

The Syrian delegation is led by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani and intelligence chief Hussein al-Salama, with the talks described by a Syrian government source as part of Damascus’ effort to reclaim what it calls its “non-negotiable national rights.”

The core of the discussions is the potential revival of the 1974 disengagement agreement, which established a UN-monitored buffer zone between Israeli and Syrian forces after the 1973 Middle East war. The agreement maintained decades of relative calm along the frontier, despite the absence of a formal peace treaty. 

Following Assad’s ouster, Israel expanded its military presence across the border, citing the protection of its security interests and the Druze minority in southwestern Syria. 

**Read More: [One Year After Assad’s Fall, Syrian President Vows Justice, Coexistence](https://thediplomaticinsight.com/syrian-president-vows-justice-coexistence/)**

Damascus is now demanding a full pullback to positions held before Assad’s removal, alongside a reciprocal security arrangement to guarantee Syrian sovereignty and prevent external interference.

A Syrian official noted that negotiations had stalled since October but gained new momentum following a December 29 meeting between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The official emphasized that Israeli withdrawal from post-Assad positions remains a “red line” for Syria, rejecting proposals for a phased pullout. “We’re not going to legitimize an Israeli presence in Syria or the Golan Heights,” the official said.

Previous rounds of talks, including meetings as recently as September, were stalled over Israel’s insistence on creating a demilitarized zone in southern Syria. 

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa warned that such a demand would undermine national security and urged Israel to respect the 1974 agreement.

**Read More: [Trump Warns Israel Against ‘Interfering’ in Syria](https://thediplomaticinsight.com/trump-warns-israel-against-interfering-in-syria/)**

Damascus has also called for an end to Israeli airstrikes and cross-border incursions, while Israel maintains that any deal must safeguard its security interests, including minority protections and limits on military activity near its borders. 

So far, Israel has not publicly committed to a full withdrawal to pre-2024 positions. European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, is also set to visit Syria later this week; her first trip since Assad’s fall.

Von der Leyen’s visit, part of a broader Middle East tour including Jordan and Lebanon, comes as the international community seeks to support Syria’s fragile recovery a year after regime change.

President Sharaa, who led the campaign that ousted Assad, has been working to secure foreign backing and stabilize the country. 

The European Union remains a major financial donor and has eased some sanctions imposed during the civil war, following the US, to support reconstruction and economic recovery.