Following discussions between the new Syrian government and Israel, held in Paris under the aegis of the United States, Washington announced on Tuesday the creation of a common structure between the two countries aimed at sharing intelligence and reducing military and diplomatic tensions. This dedicated communications unit will be supervised by the Americans.

Published on: 01/06/2026 - 11:43 p.m. Modified on: 01/06/2026 - 11:44 p.m.

The new government of Syria and Israel will establish a common structure under the supervision of the United States to share intelligence and work to reduce tensions between the two countries, Washington announced Tuesday, January 6.

The State Department assured, in a press release published following discussions in Paris between Israel and Syria, that the two countries were committed to “establishing lasting agreements on security and stability”.

“The two sides agreed to establish a joint fusion mechanism – a dedicated communications cell – to facilitate the immediate and continued coordination of their intelligence sharing, military de-escalation, diplomatic engagement and trade opportunities, under the supervision of the United States,” the State Department said. “This mechanism will serve as a platform to quickly address any disputes and work to prevent misunderstandings,” the statement added.

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The head of Syrian diplomacy, Assaad al-Chaibani, participated in these negotiations with Israel, carried out in Paris under the aegis of the United States. These talks, the first since September, aimed to reach a security agreement between these two neighboring countries and still technically in a state of war.

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Since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad a year ago and the takeover of power by an Islamist coalition in Syria, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes and led incursions into the country. Israel has also deployed troops in the demilitarized zone on the Golan Heights, beyond the dividing line between the part of this Syrian territory that it has annexed and the rest of Syria.

During the summer, high-level contacts between Israeli and Syrian officials took place, with the help of Paris and Washington. The last meeting was held in September, with negotiations stumbling over Israel's insistence on demanding demilitarization of the entire part of Syrian territory running from south of Damascus to the 1974 demarcation line, established after the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has sought to avoid confrontation with Israel, but said in December that Israeli insistence on the demilitarized zone was putting Syria in a "dangerous position." The American press release did not mention the issue of this area.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed in a separate statement that during these discussions Israel had "reaffirmed its commitment to promoting regional stability and security, as well as the need to advance economic cooperation for the benefit of both countries."

With AFP

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