Israel eyes Syria amid US push to expand Abraham Accords, debate grows over Lebanon front

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

As Israeli officials place growing hopes on comments by U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff suggesting an imminent expansion of the Abraham Accords, attention has turned toward Syria, which Israeli sources view as the most likely candidate for normalization with Tel Aviv.

At the same time, internal divisions are deepening over the future of the war with Lebanon, amid reports that U.S. President Donald Trump is making a new push to resolve the conflict.

In Israel, concern is rising over proposed arrangements that critics say fail to ensure long-term security on the Lebanese front. 

During the most recent meeting in Ras Naqoura, the Israeli military rejected calls to withdraw from five strategic points unless Hezbollah’s weapons are dismantled across Lebanon.

While security officials have expressed optimism that Trump may succeed in persuading Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a U.S. proposal during his upcoming visit to Washington, warnings have resurfaced about the risks of failing to secure clear guarantees for Israel’s safety.

Israeli officials say Iran continues to bolster Hezbollah despite the ongoing war, funneling funds used to purchase weapons, rebuild weapons production infrastructure, and pay Hezbollah fighters’ salaries. 

This, they argue, justifies continued military operations in Lebanon.

They also remain wary of any U.S. roadmap that does not explicitly remove the threat posed by Hezbollah—drawing parallels to the ceasefire with Iran, which ended the conflict without eliminating what Israel sees as existential threats from Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic missile capabilities.