In May, President Donald Trump said he had asked al-Sharaa to normalize relations with Israel during a meeting.
Israel and Syria are reportedly preparing to sign a historic security cooperation agreement, according to Arabic-language media outlets.
In an interview, interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said that Damascus was not ready to commit to a full peace accord with Israel but would support an agreement that strengthens Syria’s security after more than a decade of civil war.
“If a peace agreement serves the interests of Syria and the Syrian people, I will not hesitate to choose that option,” al-Sharaa told Sky News Arabia on Sunday.
Al-Sharaa confirmed that “advanced talks” are underway between Israeli and Syrian negotiation teams.
According to the Saudi outlet Independent Arabia, the two sides are expected to sign a Trump-brokered deal in New York in September a day after al-Sharaa is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly.
The deal will reportedly strengthen border security and draw on the framework of the 1974 Golan Heights disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria.
Key points within the agreement are expected to include a commitment by Israel not to interfere in Syria’s internal affairs andthe creation of a humanitarian aid corridor for Druze communities in southern Syria.
In May, President Donald Trump said he had asked al-Sharaa to normalize relations with Israel during a meeting. Trump told reporters that he told al-Sharaa he hoped Syria would join the Abraham Accords and that the Syrian leader “said yes.”
Still, Trump acknowledged that Syria “has a lot of work to do” before reaching full normalization with Israel.
Al-Sharaa, who previously led an Al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadist faction in Syria, has enjoyed effusive praise from Trump. The American president described al-Sharaa as a “young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter.”
If signed, the agreement would mark a dramatic shift in Middle Eastern diplomacy after decades of hostility between Israel and Syria.
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