ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Syria and Israel have agreed to establish a “joint fusion mechanism” to facilitate coordination on intelligence sharing and military de-escalation, the US Department of State announced on Tuesday, following a Washington-brokered meeting between the two sides. 

High-level Syrian and Israeli delegations held a US-mediated meeting in Paris on Monday, with discussions “centered on respect for Syria’s sovereignty and stability, Israel’s security, and prosperity for both countries,” according to the State Department statement. 

“Both Sides have decided to establish a joint fusion mechanism – a dedicated communication cell – to facilitate immediate and ongoing coordination on their intelligence sharing, military de-escalation, diplomatic engagement, and commercial opportunities,” the statement said.

The agreement was carried out “under the supervision of the United States,” the statement added. “This mechanism will serve as a platform to address any disputes promptly and work to prevent misunderstandings.” 

The Syrian delegation was headed by Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani and Intelligence Chief Hussein al-Salameh, while the Israeli side has formed a new negotiating team to handle talks with Damascus, appointing Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter to lead the team.

On Monday, a Syrian government source told state media that the talks were to reactivate the 1974 Disengagement Agreement. 

The agreement established a buffer zone between the two countries and was signed following a battle to establish a ceasefire and limit military mobilization on both sides. Israel claims that, with the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, the agreement is considered void until the restoration of order in Syria.

“The United States commends these positive steps and remains committed to supporting the implementation of these understandings, as part of broader efforts to achieve enduring peace in the Middle East,” the State Department affirmed. 

The Paris meeting marked the fifth round of talks and the first meeting in two months. 

Since the new authorities in Damascus toppled Bashar al-Assad in December last year, Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the Israeli forces to complete the takeover of the 1974 buffer zone in the Golan Heights, separating the two states, claiming that the 1974 Disengagement Agreement was void until order was restored in Syria.

Israel has launched repeated incursions in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and southwest Syria’s Quneitra countryside, conducting arrest sprees, raids, and setting up checkpoints.

It has also repeatedly launched numerous airstrikes against the country, nominally to destroy weapons caches and protect the minority Druze community that has been the target of sectarian massacres at the hands of the Syrian government and government-affiliated forces.