Syrian Minister of Information: Security Agreement with Israel Is Not Normalization

Syrian Minister of Information Hamza al-Mustafa emphasized that the ongoing negotiations between Damascus and Tel Aviv are limited to security arrangements and do not in any way imply entering a normalization process, affirming that the official Syrian stance remains firm in rejecting political normalization.

Al-Mustafa explained in an interview with Al Arabiya channel on Monday evening that the Syrian side has held three rounds of negotiations with Israel under international mediation; however, recent Israeli airstrikes on Syrian territory have complicated the negotiation process. He added that Israel considers the 1974 disengagement agreement to be unilaterally voided.

On internal affairs, the minister touched on the tense situation in Sweida Governorate, noting that the Sheikh of the Druze sect, Hikmat al-Hajri, still adopts “hardline” positions, according to his description. However, he pointed out that the Syrian government is working to compensate those affected by the conflicts between tribes and Druze in the governorate.

Al-Mustafa also confirmed that relations with the United States have noticeably improved after decades of estrangement, praising the significant Saudi support to the Syrian government, describing it as “appreciated at both the official and popular levels.”

These statements come at a time when diplomatic sources revealed that efforts to reach a security agreement between Syria and Israel stalled at the last moment due to Tel Aviv’s demand to open a humanitarian corridor to Sweida, which Damascus rejected as a violation of national sovereignty.

It is worth noting that negotiations between the two parties began months ago in Baku, Paris, and London under American and international mediation, focusing on establishing a demilitarized zone in southern Syria, especially in Sweida Governorate, which witnessed clashes between armed Bedouin and Druze groups last July.

Earlier, the head of the Syrian Interim Government, Ahmad al-Shar’a, confirmed that talks with Israel continue in order to reach a security agreement, while Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ibrahim Ali, noted last week that the negotiations have reached “advanced stages.”