Israeli reports: Secret talks on giving Shebaa Farms to Syria in exchange for giving up Golan Heights

Israeli reports on Wednesday revealed secret talks between Israel and Syria over the possibility of handing over the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms to Damascus in return for Syria giving up its claim to sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

According to Israel’s Kan channel, Israel had seriously considered the move, which would have required the approval of 80 members of the Knesset. The negotiations, however, came to a halt after the Sweida massacre, though the possibility of resuming them in the future has not been ruled out.

A Syrian source close to the authorities said linking the issue of Shebaa Farms to the Golan Heights could be possible once a security agreement is reached between the two sides. 

He clarified, however, that this was not part of the current security discussions, stressing that more urgent issues, such as Jabal al-Druze, are now the focus. He added that the Shebaa Farms question should be resolved as part of border demarcation between Syria, Lebanon and Israel.

Another informed source on the negotiations confirmed that the matter of Shebaa Farms is not currently on the table and will only be discussed at a later stage.

Sources also pointed out that Lebanon claims ownership of Shebaa Farms, which has long been used by Hezbollah as a justification for maintaining its arsenal until what it describes as the liberation of these territories from Israel.

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