Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has unveiled a northern agenda that combines military force with diplomatic outreach. He stated on Sunday that Israel’s war against Hezbollah has been instrumental in opening up peace negotiations with both Syria and Lebanon, a development he described as previously “unimagined.”
The most dramatic progress is with Syria, where the ouster of Bashar al-Assad has enabled direct talks to replace a decades-long state of war. A Syrian official has expressed a hope to formalize new security and military arrangements with Israel by the end of 2025, a rapid timeline for such a historic reconciliation.
In Lebanon, the agenda is focused on neutralizing the threat from Hezbollah. Even with a ceasefire in effect, Israeli military strikes continue. This is part of a broader effort, supported by Washington, to pressure the Lebanese government to disarm the militia, which has maintained its arsenal since the end of the civil war in 1990.
“Our victories in Lebanon against Hezbollah have opened a window for… peace,” Netanyahu told his ministers, directly connecting his military and diplomatic strategies. He confirmed the Syrian talks were underway and making “some progress,” while cautioning that the process would be lengthy.
The new Syrian leadership appears to be engaging seriously. President Ahmed al-Sharaa is discussing a deal for an Israeli withdrawal from occupied zones, with Israel’s key demand being a demilitarized buffer area. In Lebanon, the government has taken the significant step of ordering its army to plan Hezbollah’s disarmament, starting with the sensitive border region.