Syria puts disengagement deal back on table after US call
Syria is willing to revive the 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al‑Shibani stated on Friday.
During a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, al‑Shibani added that Damascus was ready to 'cooperate with the United States to return to the agreement,' which established a UN-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights after the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
Rubio, meanwhile, reiterated support for sanctions on 'malign actors' while signaling openness to reviewing Syria-linked terrorism designations.
The disengagement agreement has been largely voided since Israeli forces expanded operations in the buffer zone following the collapse of al-Assad's regime in Damascus.
The two sides further announced the formation of a joint Syrian-American committee to follow up on the chemical weapons file, confirming broad agreement on the need to address the issue.
Notably, multiple outlets have reported that transitional President Ahmad al‑Sharaa is preparing for a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, after US Envoy Thomas Barrack described potential Syria-Israel dialogue as 'meaningful' and necessary to prevent further regional escalation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Shafaq News
26 minutes ago
- Shafaq News
Baghdad rejects military movements near Kurdistan borders
Shafaq News – Garmian On Friday, the Iraqi Security Media Cell denied reports claiming there were military movements by Iraqi army units, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), or Peshmerga forces in the border areas between the federal government and the Kurdistan Region. In a statement posted on X, the Security Media Cell affirmed that the disputed territories are managed under a unified command and joint coordination between Baghdad and Erbil, noting that communication between federal and Kurdish forces is being maintained through joint coordination centers and high-level military leadership. خلية الإعلام الامني تنفي اخبارا مزعومة متداولة إعلاميا عن تحركات عسكرية غير اعتيادية في مناطق الاهتمام المشترك =====================تداولت بعض وسائل الإعلام ومنصات التواصل الاجتماعي خبرا مزعوما مفاده "تحركات لقطعات من الجيش العراقي وهيئة الحشد الشعبي او البيشمركة في مناطق… — خلية الإعلام الأمني🇮🇶 (@SecMedCell) July 4, 2025 Earlier, a security source told Shafaq News that Peshmerga forces under the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) declared a state of emergency in Garmian, which lies within the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, as Iraqi troops mobilized nearby. Garmiyan is a region in southern Iraqi Kurdistan. Once a rural agricultural area, it gained strategic importance due to its proximity to Kirkuk and the Iranian border. During the 1980s, it was a key base for Kurdish resistance and suffered heavily during Saddam Hussein's Anfal campaign.
Rudaw Net
2 hours ago
- Rudaw Net
Turkey-Syria trade ramps up by 60 percent: Turkish diplomat
Also in Syria Syria unveils new national emblem SDF chief, US envoy meeting to 'accelerate' SDF-Damascus deal: Kurdish-led council 2000 ISIS militants active in Syria's desert: Brigade spox Turkey demolishes historic military base amid peace talks with PKK A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Trade between Turkey and Syria has increased by 60 percent since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December, the head of Ankara's mission in Damascus told Rudaw on Friday. Relations between the neighbouring countries are developing in all fields, Burhan Koroglu, Turkey's Damascus chargé d'affaires, said on the sidelines of an international fair in the Syrian capital. "We are now in a new phase of Syria's history, the new Syria, which needs development in all fields, such as reconstruction and industries. As a neighboring and sister country to Syria, we want to contribute to the country's new beginning and join hands with our Syrian brothers to develop these industries together," he said, adding that the volume of trade between the two has increased by nearly 60 percent in the past half a year. The fair features Turkish companies specializing in textile supplies and machinery. One Syrian business owner told Rudaw that his company trades in 'all cotton fabrics, in which Syria was previously a leader. We specialize in all types." Damascus has hosted several business and industry exhibitions as the country looks to revive its economy after years of dictatorship, conflict, and international sanctions.
Shafaq News
2 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Gaza ceasefire unveiled, Hamas responds positively
Shafaq News – Gaza/Middle East Hamas submitted a 'positive' response to the US-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal, a Palestinian official told Reuters on Friday. The proposed ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas—mediated by Egypt and Qatar, outlines a 60-day truce with phased hostage exchanges and humanitarian aid provisions, guaranteed by US President Donald Trump. Eight living hostages would be released on day one. On day seven, Hamas would return the bodies of five deceased hostages, followed by five more bodies on day thirty. Two additional hostages would be freed alive on day fifty, and eight more deceased hostages would be returned on day sixty. The proposal also includes the immediate transfer of humanitarian aid to Gaza upon Hamas's acceptance of the deal. Deliveries must continue throughout the 60-day truce and be provided 'in large quantities and based on need,' referencing the humanitarian aid agreement signed on January 19, 2025. Distribution would be coordinated through agreed channels, including the United Nations and the Red Crescent. Military and intelligence aerial activity over Gaza would be paused for 10 hours daily—or 12 hours on days when hostages are released. Moreover, on the first day of the agreement, Israeli forces would reposition in northern Gaza following the release of live hostages. After the return of deceased hostages on day seven, a further redeployment would occur in the south. The proposal also mandates negotiations during the truce on key issues aimed at reaching a permanent ceasefire. These talks would address the release of all remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, Israeli troop withdrawals, long-term security arrangements, governance of Gaza after the war, and the formal declaration of peace.
