Under US pressure, Syria and Israel inch closer to security pact

Syria is accelerating negotiations with Israel under strong pressure from the United States, with Washington seeking a security deal that could be announced at the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York, diplomatic sources revealed. The two nations have technically remained at war since Israel’s creation in 1948, despite several armistices. Israel abandoned the 1974 truce on December 8, when rebel forces ousted then-President Bashar al-Assad. Since then, Israeli forces have struck Syrian assets and advanced to within 20 km of Damascus (Read more at Daijiworld).