Senior officials from Israel, Syria, and the United States are scheduled to meet in London on Wednesday for a third round of talks aimed at negotiating a new security agreement that could significantly alter the military landscape along the Israeli-Syrian border, according to a report by Axios.

The discussions will include Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, and US envoy Tom Barrack. The talks focus on a detailed Israeli draft proposal that outlines a potential framework for demilitarization and de-escalation.

The Israeli plan, described by officials as “maximalist,” is modeled on the country’s 1979 peace treaty with Egypt. Key demands include:

The creation of a new demilitarized zone in southwest Syria.
An expansion of the existing buffer area by an additional two kilometers.
A prohibition on Syrian military aircraft flying in the airspace between Damascus and the Israeli frontier.
The exclusion of Syrian military forces from the immediate border area, though it would permit the presence of police and domestic security forces.
In return for these concessions, Israel has offered a gradual withdrawal from parts of the buffer zone it established following the fall of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in December. However, Israel would maintain its strategically vital position on Mount Hermon.

A notable component of the draft plan is the creation of an air corridor for Israel, which officials state is intended to preserve its operational ability to conduct strikes against Iranian targets if necessary.

While the Syrian government confirmed on Tuesday that it is working with the United States to achieve mutual “security understandings” with Israel, officials involved in the process cautioned that a major breakthrough during the London meeting is unlikely.

In a related development, AFP reported that Syrian forces have begun withdrawing heavy weapons from the country’s south as part of confidence-building measures to ease tensions with Israel.

The diplomatic efforts extend beyond these talks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly seeking a potential meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the upcoming UN General Assembly, though officials have downplayed the likelihood of such a high-level encounter.

The negotiations occur against a complex legal backdrop. The United Nations has previously characterized Israel’s presence in southern Syria’s buffer zone as a violation of the 1974 disengagement accord. Israel contends that the agreement became void after the fall of the Assad government.