Netanyahu: Negotiations with Syria are progressing, but an agreement is still a long way off

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed at a government meeting on Sunday that negotiations between Israel and Syria had “made some progress,” but that both sides of the conflict were still far from reaching agreement on key issues.

The main issue is a security agreement that could ease tensions along the shared border and end Israeli airstrikes and the presence of Israeli troops in southern Syria.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara said last week that the ongoing negotiations could lead to results in the coming days, but stressed that this would not be a formal peace treaty or a complete normalization of relations.

Both sides are primarily concerned with respect for Syria's borders and sovereignty and possible monitoring of the agreements by the UN. The dispute over the Golan Heights has been put on hold indefinitely for the time being.

(reuters, sie)