Syrian and Israeli officials are expected to meet soon under U.S. mediation, possibly in Paris, to finalize a security agreement between Damascus and Jerusalem, according to a source close to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa who spoke to i24NEWS_EN, as posted by Ariel Oseran on X over the past 59 minutes ending at 3:45 PM UTC on January 24, 2026. The talks will address joint strategic and economic projects in buffer zones between the two countries, with optimistic discussions on Syria joining the Abraham Accords and opening an Israeli embassy in Damascus before year-end, the source stated. Originally limited to a security agreement and liaison office, plans have accelerated under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump amid Syrian openness. A 25-year lease for the Golan Heights as a joint economic 'Garden of Peace,' similar to Jordan's border enclaves deal, was proposed as a compromise if Israel respects Syria's unity. U.S. President Trump seeks to arrange a peace agreement signing between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President al-Sharaa, the source added to i24NEWS_EN. This follows potential integration agreements with Druze in southern Syria mirroring the northeast Kurds deal. In the Raqqa countryside, the Syrian government began restoration of the Al-Mughla Bridge amid local joy, as reported by SOHEB209 on X during the reporting window. A circulating video clip alleging Syrian regime fighters offered Kurdish women for sale was debunked as manipulated, with original audio showing a tribal fighter discussing SDF defections, according to Verify-Sy fact-check shared by VeSyria on X over the past hour. Turkish-delivered M113 vehicles appeared in Hasakah, per BarracudaVol1 on X, while the Syrian army has not entered 2023 Turkish air operation sites against SDF/YPG, which remain under SDF control, as stated by the same source.
