Syria Reportedly Agrees to Drop Golan Heights Claim in Secret Deal With Israel
According to Hezbollah media, the secret meeting — brokered by the UAE — included a dramatic proposal: Syria would relinquish claims to the Golan Heights in exchange for Israeli recognition.
Twitter
A new report from Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen is reigniting speculation over a secret diplomatic meeting between Israel and Syria. Despite repeated denials, sources insist that Israel's National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi met this week with Syrian President Mohammad al-Sharaa (formerly known as jihadist leader Mohammad al-Julani) in Abu Dhabi.
According to the report, the meeting was personally orchestrated by UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, who has become a central mediator in discreet negotiations between Tel Aviv and Damascus.
Al Mayadeen claims both delegations arrived in Abu Dhabi on separate flights that landed within minutes of each other, marking what may be a turning point in clandestine Israeli-Syrian diplomacy.
Among the most sensitive topics on the table was the status of the Golan Heights. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the channel reports that President al-Sharaa signaled willingness to officially drop Syria’s longstanding claim to the territory — in return for Israeli diplomatic recognition and potential support in solidifying his hold over Syria.
The alleged meeting follows weeks of behind-the-scenes intelligence coordination between Israeli officials and newly empowered figures within Syria's security establishment, representing a sharp departure from decades of hostility.
Another reported component of the deal involves the establishment of three demilitarized buffer zones in southern Syria — in Daraa, Quneitra, and Sweida. These zones would be monitored by international or regional forces yet to be determined. Syrian military units would be limited to light weapons only, with heavy arms withdrawn from the area.
If confirmed, this would mark a historic shift in the region’s balance of power and could pave the way for further normalization efforts between Israel and Arab states formerly aligned with Assad's regime.
Israeli and Syrian officials have not commented on the latest report, but sources close to the talks suggest that this meeting is just the beginning of a broader, UAE-led strategy to reshape the post-Assad Middle East.