Trump and Netanyahu talk Syria as Israel claims direct contact

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed Syria during a high-level meeting at the White House, with normalisation, sanctions relief, and post-Assad stability all reportedly on the agenda.

The meeting, held on Monday, marked the third face-to-face encounter between Trump and Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, since the former returned to the presidency in January.

In a joint press conference, Trump praised the "high energy and competence" of the Syrian people and expressed admiration for the country's new president, Ahmad al-Sharaa.

"I met the new leader in Syria and I liked him," Trump said. "We lifted sanctions on them and gave them a chance."

He added that lifting sanctions was essential to allowing Syria to rebuild. "I wanted Syria to rebuild itself, and we wanted to give it a chance. That can't happen without lifting the sanctions," Trump said.

Referring to his tour of the Gulf in May, Trump noted that Washington enjoys "great cooperation" with Middle Eastern countries, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. "Something good is going to happen," he added.

Netanyahu echoed Trump's optimism, suggesting that there is "an opportunity that should be explored regarding normalisation with Syria," and said Syria would "gain a lot" if it moved in that direction.

"Iran used to run Syria, but now there is an opportunity to achieve stability and peace," he said, crediting Trump with creating a chance for the Syrian people to shift toward "peace and stability" through the lifting of sanctions and engagement with the new leadership.

Netanyahu added: "We can achieve comprehensive peace in the Middle East that includes all our neighbours, and there are historic opportunities to expand the Abraham Accords."

Israeli officials had earlier expressed hope that the outcome of the conflict with Iran could pave the way for normalisation with other states, including Lebanon, Syria and Saudi Arabia. These issues were expected to feature in the Trump-Netanyahu discussions.

There have been increasing reports of direct talks between Syria and Israel in recent weeks, moving beyond leaks into near-official confirmation.

Israeli National Security Council chief Tzachi Hanegbi recently stated he is personally overseeing "daily" political and security dialogue with the Syrian government.

Reuters, citing five informed sources, reported that the two countries had held face-to-face meetings in recent weeks aimed at easing tensions and preventing escalation in the border buffer zone.

The agency described the contacts as a significant shift in bilateral relations, driven in part by US support for the new Syrian government and a slowdown in Israeli strikes inside Syria.

Al-Monitor reported that intelligence and diplomatic contacts are ongoing, mediated by Qatar and Saudi Arabia, with the US willing to apply pressure to ensure gradual progress - though full normalisation remains off the table for now.

Despite reports of ongoing talks between Damascus and Tel Aviv, Israel continues to illegally occupy Syrian territory, including the Golan Heights, which it formally annexed in 1981 in a move never recognised by the international community.

Beyond this, Israeli forces have repeatedly seized and militarised swathes of land since the fall of Assad under the pretext of security, while continuing near-daily airstrikes and raids across southern Syria.

This raises questions about the sincerity or viability of any normalisation process so long as the occupation and violence persists.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has already ruled out returning the Golan Heights to Syria in the event of any peace deal.