A new strategic equation is taking shape on Israel’s northern frontier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested on Sunday. He argued that the war against Hezbollah has fundamentally altered the balance of power, creating a historic opening for peace with both Lebanon and the new government in Syria. This assertion recasts a violent conflict as a catalyst for regional diplomacy.
The change is most evident in the relationship with Syria. Freed from the hardline anti-Israel stance of the Assad regime, Damascus is now in direct negotiations with Jerusalem. A Syrian official expressed optimism that these talks could yield concrete security and military agreements before the year is out, ending a state of war that has lasted for generations.
The Lebanese dimension is a blend of continued conflict and emerging hope. Israeli military operations against Hezbollah persist despite a ceasefire, aimed at dismantling the group’s offensive capabilities. Concurrently, diplomatic pressure, largely from the U.S., is pushing the Lebanese government to assert its authority and disarm the powerful militia.
Netanyahu presented this new reality to his cabinet as a direct outcome of Israeli military policy. “Our victories in Lebanon against Hezbollah have opened a window for a possibility that was not even imagined before,” he stated. He also confirmed the existence of a diplomatic channel with Syria, noting tentative but real progress.
The new Syrian leadership seems to be responding to this new equation. President Ahmed al-Sharaa is negotiating a deal that would trade Israeli-occupied land for a demilitarized buffer zone. In a significant concession, a Syrian military official confirmed the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the area. Similarly, Lebanon’s government has ordered its army to begin disarming Hezbollah near the Israeli border.
A New Northern Equation: Netanyahu Links Hezbollah War to Peace Overtures
