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The Day · Monday 8 December 2025

Filed 01:16 · Palestine time (UTC+2) · World

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Damascus Ties Security Pact to Total Israeli Withdrawal from Syrian Soil

Damascus has made any potential security agreement contingent upon Israel’s complete withdrawal from Syrian soil. The move underscores Syria’s stance on sovereignty and conditions for negotiation. This position reflects Damascus’s insistence on ending Israeli presence as a prerequisite for any future security arrangements.

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 move forward with any form of security agreement unless Israel fully withdraws from Syrian soil. The announcement reaffirms the Syrian position on sovereignty and underscores a clear condition for any future negotiations involving Israeli forces or interests.

From its side, Damascus has set a firm line, linking any progression in talks directly to the complete evacuation of Israeli forces from all Syrian territories. This stance reflects a continuity in Syria’s policy regarding occupation and territorial sovereignty. The statement leaves no room for partial measures or interim arrangements, placing full withdrawal at the center of its political and security calculus.

Meanwhile, observers note that this conditionality represents not only a defensive posture but also a political message to regional and international actors. Syria’s clear articulation of its demand underlines the centrality of land and sovereignty in its national agenda, particularly in relation to any formal agreement on security matters.

The position of Damascus aligns with broader regional calls for an end to foreign military presence on Arab soil, and in this case singles out the Israeli occupation on Syrian land as the defining obstacle to further diplomatic steps. The demand for full withdrawal is positioned as a prerequisite, rather than a product of negotiations, reinforcing a resistance-centered approach to diplomacy.

In addition, the linkage made by Damascus comes at a time when questions around territorial control and national integrity remain at the forefront of regional discourse. By setting such a condition, Syria appears to be drawing a red line, emphasizing that the restoration of full sovereignty over its land is non-negotiable and must precede any form of security cooperation.

There has been no statement from the Israeli side in response to the conditions laid out by Damascus. The firm precondition presented leaves limited space for maneuver in any upcoming communication or bilateral directives should they arise.

The full Israeli withdrawal from Syrian soil remains the sole stated condition by Damascus for moving ahead with a security agreement. Until such a withdrawal occurs, Damascus signals that no advances will be made in the direction of compromise or formalized cooperation with Israel.

8 Dec, 01:16

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