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The Day · Sunday 7 December 2025

Filed 22:31 · Palestine time (UTC+2) · World

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Damascus Ties Signing of Security Agreement to Full Israeli Withdrawal from Syrian Soil

Damascus has made the signing of any security agreement contingent upon a full Israeli withdrawal from Syrian soil. The announcement signals a direct stance from the Syrian capital, placing complete territorial evacuation as a prerequisite for future agreements involving security terms.

DAMASCUS, SYRIA – SEPTEMBER 16: Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (C), Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi (not seen), US Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack (not seen) hold a joint press conference after their meeting at the Tishreen Palace in Damascus, Syria on September 16, 2025. They held a trilateral meeting to discuss the situation in the southern Suwayda province. ( Izz Aldien Alqasem – Anadolu Agency )

Damascus has declared that it will not proceed with the signing of any security agreement unless a full Israeli withdrawal from Syrian soil is executed. The statement reflects an uncompromising position from the Syrian capital, emphasizing sovereign rights and territorial integrity as its guiding principles in any potential negotiations.

The condition outlined by Damascus places the complete evacuation of Israeli presence from Syrian land as the fundamental basis for advancing any form of security coordination. This stance emerges amid heightened tensions in the region, where questions of occupation and resistance continue to shape political decisions and national strategies.

From its side, Damascus has reiterated its unwavering demand, stating that the path to any security accord requires clear and verifiable steps from the Israeli side, beginning with a total exit from all Syrian territories under occupation. The clarity of this position leaves little room for partial measures or interim arrangements, aligning Damascus’s policy with long-standing calls for full sovereignty restoration.

Meanwhile, there has been no formal response from Israeli authorities regarding the conditional nature of Damascus’s stance. However, the demand marks a significant development, reinforcing the intersection between territorial questions and broader security frameworks in the region.

In addition, the Syrian position appears to underscore a broader resistance narrative, where occupation is identified as the preventer of regional stability and cooperation. The clear message from Damascus indicates that legitimacy and security cannot be separated from the realities on the ground, especially concerning the presence of foreign forces on national soil.

The announcement comes at a time when the region remains under the weight of long-standing confrontations, and the linkage between occupation and security remains a dominant theme. Damascus’s condition reflects not only a political stance but an affirmation of its long-held position on sovereignty and the illegality of foreign occupation.

Field observers interpret the move as a reaffirmation of Syria’s consistent demand that Israeli forces must leave Syrian land before any normalization efforts or cooperative frameworks can be considered. The call also serves as a message to regional actors that any deviation from the full-withdrawal condition undermines the prospects for genuine security and long-term stability.

In the absence of concrete action toward withdrawal, Damascus appears resolute in rejecting any form of agreement that might legitimize or prolong the Israeli presence on its soil. This posture reflects a broader trend among governments and movements in the region that frame resistance and sovereignty as primary components of peace-building, rather than subsequent outcomes.

The stated condition by Damascus therefore stands as both a barrier and a benchmark in the path toward any agreement. It casts a clear spotlight on the centrality of land and withdrawal in forming the basis of trust and engagement between adversaries in the region.

7 Dec, 22:31

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