US Announces Syria–Israel ‘Joint Fusion Mechanism’ as Israeli Occupation Deepens
Washington brokers Paris talks to institutionalize coordination while Israeli troops remain on Mount Hermon and Syrian forces are frozen
Syria | PUREWILAYAH.COM — The United States has announced what it calls a preliminary “de-escalation mechanism” between “Israel” and Syria following two days of indirect, US-brokered talks in Paris—an arrangement critics describe as a US-managed framework designed to normalize occupation, restrain Syria, and shield Israeli aggression from accountability.
In a statement released Tuesday, the United States Department of State said both sides agreed to establish a “joint fusion mechanism,” a US-supervised coordination cell tasked with intelligence sharing, military de-escalation, diplomatic engagement, and commercial coordination.
“Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic … have decided to establish a joint fusion mechanism — a dedicated communication cell — to facilitate immediate and ongoing coordination… under the supervision of the United States,” the statement said.
The move marks the first formal US attempt to institutionalize coordination between an occupying power and a weakened Syrian state, without requiring Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory.
De-Escalation Without Withdrawal
The announcement comes amid escalating Israeli aggression in southern Syria, following Tel Aviv’s exploitation of the security vacuum created after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Since then, Israeli forces have:
expanded ground operations beyond previously occupied zones,
entrenched themselves on Mount Hermon, and
carried out hundreds of airstrikes and near-daily incursions deep inside Syrian territory.
These actions, carried out with unconditional US political cover, have been denounced as blatant violations of Syrian sovereignty and international law.
Syria: Coordination Cannot Replace Ending Occupation
Syrian officials have warned that technical coordination mechanisms cannot substitute for ending occupation.
A Syrian official told Reuters that progress on political and security files remains impossible without a binding Israeli commitment to withdraw from territories seized after Assad’s fall.
“It would not be possible to move forward on strategic files without a clear, binding timeline for Israeli troops to quit Syrian territory,” the official said.
According to the same source, the Paris talks concluded with a US proposal to merely suspend Israeli military operations, a measure Damascus views as insufficient and deceptive in the absence of guarantees to reverse what it describes as a creeping occupation.
US-Brokered “Coordination” as Occupation Management
The so-called joint fusion mechanism is being promoted as a stabilizing measure. In practice, it formalizes Washington’s role as manager of Israeli dominance, while placing restraints on Syrian military activity.
Under the reported framework:
Syria would freeze or demilitarize deployments in parts of the south,
Damascus would participate in US-supervised coordination,
Israeli forces would remain entrenched on Mount Hermon and beyond.
This arrangement locks in Israeli gains while reframing occupation and airstrikes as “technical issues” handled through coordination rather than violations requiring accountability.
Normalization Without Withdrawal: A Strategic Trap
Critics warn that normalization under these conditions would grant the Israeli regime diplomatic cover and operational freedom, legitimizing ongoing aggression.
Since December 2024, Israeli air and ground operations inside Syria have expanded significantly, often citing alleged “security concerns” while striking areas deep within sovereign territory.
There are also reports of Israeli political maneuvering in southern Syria, including:
encouragement of Druze separatism, and
covert arming of local factions.
A mechanism that freezes Syrian forces while leaving Israeli troops in place risks accelerating territorial fragmentation, not stability.
Proposed “economic initiatives” in border regions—potentially financed by Gulf states—are likewise viewed as tools for political partition rather than reconstruction.
US media reports indicate Washington has also proposed establishing a joint operations room in Jordan, involving the United States, “Israel,” and Syria.
The operations room would oversee:
political and military negotiations,
intelligence cooperation, and
economic coordination.
Until its establishment, both sides would be expected to freeze troop deployments—cementing Israeli occupation on the ground while curtailing Syrian sovereignty.
No Normalization, Damascus Says — But Compliance Continues
While the talks mark an unusual channel of engagement, Syrian officials have publicly framed the process not as normalization but as an effort to halt Israeli aggression, restore territorial integrity, and reactivate existing international agreements, including the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.
For Damascus, de-escalation without withdrawal risks entrenching occupation under the cover of US-managed coordination rather than addressing the root causes of instability. (PW)