Countering Hezbollah Could Bring Syria and Israel Closer

“Syria is seeking a security agreement with Israel,” Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said in an interview with the Qatari-owned Al Jazeera on July 26. A successful agreement, he added, could “pave the way for comprehensive peace without compromising Syria’s right to the Golan Heights.”

Such an agreement could help break the stalemate between the two countries, which have held several rounds of negotiations over the past year. The most notable produced a deconfliction mechanism in January. Still, a more formal security framework could enable both sides to confront shared threats, particularly Iran and its proxies, which have long used Syrian territory to rearm and plan attacks against Israel. Effective implementation could also provide a measurable test of cooperation and serve as a confidence-building step toward eventual normalization. Yet serious obstacles remain to both a security agreement and normalization. 

Syria and Israel’s Interest in Countering Hezbollah

The Iran-backed group Hezbollah helped sustain former dictator Bashar al-Assad’s regime during the civil war and used Syrian territory as a corridor to move weapons into Lebanon. Most of Hezbollah’s forces withdrew after Assad’s fall, but its smuggling networks and ambitions remain.

To date, Damascus has shown that it is willing to confront Hezbollah’s presence in Syria. Authorities have intercepted thousands of weapons and rockets bound for Hezbollah. These operations have earned Damascus the support of both Washington and Jerusalem. Syria has also disrupted attacks against Israel. In April, the Interior Ministry announced that it had foiled a Hezbollah plot in Quneitra near the Israeli-Syrian border. This was an example of convergence between Israeli and Syrian interests. The Syrians do not want their territory being used as a launchpad for attacks against neighboring states, and Israel wants to secure its border.

Obstacles to a Closer Syria-Israel Relationship

The shared interest in countering Hezbollah has not been enough to bring Israel and Syria into an agreement. Since Assad’s fall, Washington has pushed the two countries toward closer cooperation, but those efforts “have stalled,” according to Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.

For Syria, the main obstacle is Israel’s continued military presence in southern Syria. Sharaa has raised the issue directly with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has urged Israel to withdraw. Damascus also objects to Israel’s support for Druze factions in the southern province of Suwayda, where these factions have intensified their calls for autonomy since the July 2025 massacre. The fighting, involving government forces and pro-Damascus Bedouin tribes, killed roughly 1,700 people, most of them Druze. Damascus views Israel’s backing of Druze groups as support for fracturing the Syrian state.

Israel, meanwhile, remains deeply suspicious of Sharaa and his government. His militant past as a leader in Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, his ties to Turkey, which Israel views as a rival, and the integration of Turkish-backed factions into the Syrian army have reinforced concerns about his government’s intentions. Senior Israeli politicians have also described the leadership in Damascus as “jihadists in a suit.”

These disputes have produced a stalemate. Yet Sharaa’s July 26 remarks are more conciliatory than Damascus’s recent rhetoric and may signal an opening.

Washington Should Bring Syria and Israel Into a Formal Security Framework

U.S.-mediated mechanisms have helped manage friction and prevent escalation between Israel and Syria. As Washington searches for solutions to dealing with Hezbollah, it should work to build trust and cooperation between the two countries. Damascus has a clear interest in weakening Hezbollah. Cutting the group’s supply corridor through Syria would strengthen Israel’s long-term security by closing a critical lifeline for Hezbollah’s survival. 

Comprehensive normalization may remain distant, but joint efforts against a shared adversary offer a realistic starting point. Such cooperation could build confidence and lay the groundwork for peace negotiations between Damascus and Jerusalem.

Ahmad Sharawi is a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Ahmad and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow FDD on X @FDD. Follow Ahmad on X @AhmadA_Sharawi. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.