The End of an Era? Israel, Syria and Lebanon Look Beyond Decades of Conflict

The Middle East may be witnessing the end of an era of intractable conflict on Israel’s northern border. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday that the war with Hezbollah has created a historic opportunity to forge peace with both Syria and Lebanon, potentially closing the book on decades of hostility.
The most significant sign of this new era is the direct peace talks between Israel and Syria. The end of the Assad dynasty’s rule has broken a long-standing diplomatic taboo. A Syrian official has expressed a hope to finalize security and military agreements by the end of 2025, a move that would formally end their state of war.
In Lebanon, the end of the old era means confronting the legacy of the civil war, namely Hezbollah’s independent arsenal. While Israel continues to strike the group despite a ceasefire, the Lebanese government is finally taking steps to disarm it, a process seen as essential for the country’s future stability and for peace with Israel.
“The possibility of peace with our northern neighbours… was not even imagined before our recent operations,” Netanyahu stated, positioning the recent conflict as the catalyst for this new era. He confirmed that talks with Syria are progressing, though he cautioned the process is still in its early stages.
This potential new chapter is being written with concrete actions. Syria’s new president is negotiating an Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories in exchange for a demilitarized zone. Lebanon has committed to a timeline to begin disarming Hezbollah in the south. These are the building blocks of a potentially different future.