Israel is shifting its focus from battle lines to negotiation tables on its northern border, according to a major policy announcement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He stated Sunday that the recent war with Hezbollah has successfully created the necessary leverage for a major diplomatic push, with active peace talks now underway with Syria.
This shift is most pronounced with Syria, where the decades-old battle line is being replaced by a negotiating table. The ouster of Bashar al-Assad was the catalyst, allowing the new government to engage directly with Israel. A Syrian official has expressed hope that these talks will lead to a signed security agreement by the end of the year.
In Lebanon, the battle lines with Hezbollah are still active, as evidenced by continued Israeli strikes despite a ceasefire. However, these military actions are now explicitly in service of a diplomatic goal: to strengthen the Lebanese state’s position as it prepares to negotiate the country’s future by disarming the militia.
Netanyahu explained the strategy behind this transition. “Our victories… have opened a window for… peace,” he told his cabinet, framing the military campaign as a means to a diplomatic end. He confirmed that the move to the negotiating table with Syria has already yielded “some progress.”
This pivot from confrontation to conversation is yielding tangible results. At the Syrian table, a demilitarized zone is being discussed. In Lebanon, the government has set a timeline to begin disarming Hezbollah, a move that could eventually bring them to a different kind of table with Israel.