Report: Israel refused deal with Syria

Prime Minister Netanyahu denounced Saudi report alleging he refused to sign security deal with Syria at the UN as “fake news.”

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to sign a new security deal brokered by the Trump administration between Jerusalem and Damascus earlier this year, backing out of the agreement at the last minute, a Saudi newspaper claimed on Tuesday.

The report, published by Asharq Al-Awsat, cited unnamed sources who said that during the United Nations General Assembly’s High-Level Week in September, the Trump administration had arranged for Netanyahu and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to sign a security agreement on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

The deal had reportedly already been negotiated in trilateral talks, with a breakthrough achieved before Netanyahu and al-Sharaa flew to New York.

However, according to the report, Netanyahu backed out of the deal at the last minute.

The sources quoted in the report lamented that since the canceled signing, tensions have escalated dramatically between Israel and Syria.

One source said that Syria is hoping to use its growing influence with the White House to pressure Israel to halt its military operations in southern Syria and to “restore the status quo ante.”

Syria has demanded that any security deal with Israel include a full withdrawal of IDF forces from areas occupied since December 2024.

After the collapse of the Assad regime, Israeli forces were deployed to the demilitarized zone in the Golan Heights, effectively ending the 1974 separation of forces agreement.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has repeatedly stated that the IDF will remain in the former buffer zone for the long term and will maintain control over the summit of Mount Hermon, part of the 1974 demilitarized zone.

Netanyahu’s office denied the Asharq Al-Awsat report, calling it “fake news” and emphasizing that no breakthrough was reached.

“Absolute fake news. There were contacts and meetings organized by the US, but no agreements and understandings with Syria were ever reached.”