Saturday, March 29, 2025
Jerusalem, Sept 21, 2025 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that Israel’s decisive victory over Hezbollah in Lebanon has created new opportunities for peace with its northern neighbors, including Lebanon and Syria.
Addressing a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu said that before Israel’s recent military campaigns, such prospects were unimaginable. “Our decisive victory over Hezbollah in Lebanon has opened doors to peace with our northern neighbors that could not have been conceived before our recent operations,” he told ministers.
The prime minister also confirmed that talks with Syria are underway and have shown some positive progress, though he cautioned that a full agreement is still far off. “We are engaging in dialogue with the Syrian people. Some progress has been made, but much more remains to be achieved,” Netanyahu said, emphasizing that Israel’s military success against Hezbollah has laid the groundwork for serious negotiations.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara echoed cautious optimism earlier this week, describing the ongoing security talks with Israel as potentially fruitful. On Wednesday, he said the discussions “could yield positive results in the coming days,” but stressed that any security agreement must be conditional.
According to al-Shara, such an accord would require full respect for Syria’s airspace and territorial sovereignty, as well as United Nations monitoring. Damascus has also made it clear that the talks are aimed at halting Israeli airstrikes inside Syria and ensuring the withdrawal of Israeli troops allegedly operating in southern Syria.
While a comprehensive deal remains distant, Netanyahu maintained that the outcome of the war against Hezbollah has fundamentally shifted the regional balance, creating new avenues for dialogue and potential peace.
