Preliminary Israel-Syria talks begin under Trump's watch: report

US President Donald Trump's administration has begun preliminary talks to reach a potential security deal between Israel and Syria, which Israel wants as a step toward full normalisation.

In comments made to US news site Axios, unnamed US and Israeli officials stated that the talks are focused on reducing tensions between the longtime regional foes and ensuring border security.

The US official confirmed that the two sides had held "very quiet preliminary talks", which Trump was highly supportive of.

An Israeli official said that the government was seeking guarantees that these talks would gradually lead to a peace agreement and then normalisation. Another official said that making tangible progress in these negotiations would "take some time".

According to the sources, Israel wants to reach agreements with Syria in stages, starting with a revised version of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, which defines the boundaries of a buffer zone separating the Golan Heights from Syria.

The 1974 agreement came after the 1967 war, when Israel captured the Golan Heights, before annexing it in 1981 in a move not recognised by the UN or most of the international community.

Trump recognised Israeli claims over the Golan during his first term in office, and Israel has said it will never hand it back to Syria. This was reiterated on Monday by Israel’s foreign minister, who said the Golan was "non-negotiable".

Israel's occupation of more Syrian territories since the collapse of the Assad regime in December is seen as the main leverage for Israel in the talks, and it will only leave these areas in exchange for full normalisation, the Axios report said.

After longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad was ousted, Israeli forces moved further into Syrian territory, capturing more areas in the Quneitra province and the Syrian side of Mount Hermon.

Israel alleged security reasons, saying it wanted to ensure its borders were safe due to the new government in Damascus, and said it would remain there "indefinitely".

It has carried out hundreds of airstrikes across the war-torn nation, decimating the former army’s capabilities in what observers say is Israel’s attempt to weaken a post-Assad Syria.

But reports in recent months have confirmed that Syria and Israel have engaged in direct talks to cool these tensions and prevent conflict, and some reports have suggested the two countries could ink a peace deal before the end of the year.

It remains unclear if they will forge a fully-fledged normalisation agreement, although the Syrian government has not commented on this.

Trump has urged the country's new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, to form ties with Israel, despite saying over the weekend that he was not sure whether Syria would normalise relations.

In an effort to help the devastated country rebuild, Trump announced in May the lifting of all US sanctions on Syria and met with Sharaa in Saudi Arabia.

On Monday, he signed an executive order terminating the Syria sanctions programme "to support the country’s path to stability and peace", according to the White House.