Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that a deal with Syria is possible, provided Syrian authorities establish a demilitarized buffer zone stretching from Damascus to Mount Hermon and surrounding areas.

Speaking a day after U.S. President Donald Trump emphasized the importance of maintaining a “strong and true dialogue” with Damascus, Netanyahu expressed cautious optimism while visiting soldiers wounded in central Israel. “With goodwill and an understanding of these principles, it is possible to reach an agreement with the Syrians, but we will stand by our principles in any case,” he said, as reported in Reuters.

Security Concerns Remain Central

Netanyahu stressed that Israel holds these areas to ensure the security of its citizens. “What we expect Syria to do is, of course, to establish a demilitarized buffer zone from Damascus to the buffer area, including the approaches to Mount Hermon and the Hermon peak,” he said.

Syria does not formally recognize Israel, which has occupied more Syrian territory since December 2024. Israel captured the Syrian Golan Heights in the 1967 war and later annexed it, a move recognized by the United States but not by most other countries.

U.S. Support and Regional Tensions

Trump has supported Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, as part of efforts to broker a non-aggression pact, though Israel remains wary of Sharaa’s past links to Islamist militancy. The diplomatic push comes amid heightened tensions following an Israeli raid in southern Syria on Friday, which killed 13 people. The Israeli military said the operation targeted a Lebanese Islamist militant group.