Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told United States Ambassador Tom Barrack that he would be willing to start negotiations with Syria if the US served as mediator, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing two Israeli officials.
According to the report, Netanyahu is open to negotiating a new security deal with the new Syrian government, which would lead to a full peace agreement. However, Israel informed Barrack that it would not accept Turkish military bases or the renewed Iranian and Hezbollah presence in Syria, the sources said. Meanwhile, the ambassador told Israelis that Syria's Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa is open to discussing new deals with Israel.
The sources added that Israeli officials began communicating with the new Syrian government, first indirectly by exchanging messages through third parties and then directly in secret meetings in third countries. Israel's stance on Syria changed after US President Donald Trump's surprise meeting with Al-Sharaa, according to the report.
