Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed interest in launching U.S.-mediated negotiations with Syria's new leadership, aiming to first secure an updated security arrangement and ultimately reach a peace deal, two Israeli officials told Axios.

Netanyahu raised the proposal during a meeting last week in Jerusalem with U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, who later relayed the conversation to President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, according to sources familiar with the diplomatic exchange.

"Netanyahu is interested in negotiating an updated security deal and working up towards a full peace agreement," said a senior Israeli official.

The initiative would capitalize on the momentum generated by the recent meeting between Trump and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the official added.

The Israeli PM reportedly sees al-Sharaa’s desire to build strong ties with the Trump administration as a window of opportunity to reopen diplomatic channels.

“We want to try and move towards normalization with Syria as soon as possible,” one of the officials said.

According to the sources, Netanyahu envisions a phased process, beginning with an updated version of the 1974 disengagement of forces agreement between Israel and Syria. The original accord, brokered by the U.S. following the Yom Kippur War, has remained a foundational element in maintaining calm along the Israel-Syria frontier. Netanyahu’s team is reportedly seeking modifications to the agreement, which would pave the way for broader negotiations on a final peace accord.

The Israeli officials also said Barrack conveyed to them that President al-Sharaa is open to exploring new agreements with Israel.

During their talks, Israeli officials outlined to Barrack several non-negotiable conditions for any future deal with Damascus. These include a complete ban on Turkish military installations in Syria, the permanent removal of Iranian and Hezbollah forces from the country, and the demilitarization of Syria’s southern region, which borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

An Israeli official said their forces will remain deployed inside Syrian territory until a new agreement is reached that guarantees the demilitarization of the southern border area.

Additionally, Israel is seeking to include U.S. troops in any future multinational force tasked with monitoring the border, alongside the United Nations observers who were previously stationed there.