A new geopolitical map may be emerging in the Middle East, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He announced on Sunday that the war against Hezbollah has, against all odds, unlocked the potential for peace with both Lebanon and Syria. This development suggests that the regional alignments that have held for decades are now in flux.
Talks with Syria, a nation that has been in a formal state of war with Israel for over 75 years, have advanced considerably since the fall of the Assad regime. The new leadership in Damascus has entered into direct negotiations, with a Syrian official expressing hope that security agreements could be finalized within months. This rapid progress points to a mutual desire to de-escalate and stabilize the border.
In Lebanon, Israel is pursuing a dual-track strategy. It continues to conduct military strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure to diminish the group’s threat, even after a November ceasefire was declared. At the same time, it is benefiting from U.S.-led diplomatic pressure on the Lebanese state to finally disarm the powerful militia, which has long operated outside of government control.
Netanyahu’s assessment is that military success is a prerequisite for diplomatic progress. “Our victories… have opened a window for a possibility that was not even imagined,” he told his cabinet, referring to the peace talks. He confirmed the “progress” in discussions with Syria while acknowledging the challenges that still lie ahead.
On the ground, these diplomatic shifts are having tangible consequences. Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is negotiating an Israeli withdrawal from occupied zones in return for demilitarization. In Lebanon, the government has formally committed to a disarmament plan for Hezbollah, with the army set to begin implementation near the Israeli border within three months, a key demand for regional de-escalation.