Syrian media says talks of peace agreement with Israel are ‘premature’

Syrian state media says that statements on signing a peace agreement with Israel are “premature,” days after Israel said it was interested in striking normalization agreements with Syria and neighboring Lebanon.

“Statements concerning signing a peace agreement with the Israeli occupation at this time are considered premature,” state TV reports an unidentified official source as saying.

“It is not possible to talk of the possibility of negotiations over a new agreement unless the occupation fully adheres to the 1974 disengagement agreement and withdraws from the areas it has penetrated,” it adds.

Israel’s takeover of the buffer zone along the Syrian border following the fall of Bashar al-Assad last December is considered by the United Nations to be a violation of the 1974 disengagement accord.

Israel says the accord has fallen apart since one of the sides was no longer in a position to implement it, and that the takeover was a defensive move to protect the country from potential hostile forces that could have exploited the power vacuum.

While Israeli officials have said that ongoing talks with Syria are aimed at normalizing ties between the two nations, Syrian officials are reportedly urging mediators to consider a more limited agreement — one that would declare an end to hostilities with Israel without progressing toward full peace.

Lazar Berman contributed to this report.