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Israel and Syria ·

Israel–Syria Disengagement Agreement

A military agreement on the separation of forces and a ceasefire, signed by military representatives; the text itself says it is not a peace agreement, and Israel and Syria have no peace treaty.1

In 30 seconds

On 31 May 1974 military representatives of Israel and Syria signed a disengagement agreement in Geneva, mediated by Henry Kissinger.12 It set an area of separation between the armies in which only a UN force is present. The arrangement held for decades, but it is not peace.

Where it stands today

As of October 2026 the United Nations still treats the agreement as in force, and the Security Council has extended the mandate of the observer force UNDOF to 31 December 2026.5 Israel declared on 8 December 2024 that the agreement had collapsed, and according to the UN Secretary-General's report the Israeli army holds 11 positions on the Syrian side of the area of separation.47

In one sentence

To stabilise the ceasefire after the 1973 war and move the two armies apart on the Golan Heights.

The challenge

The 1973 war ended with a ceasefire called for by the Security Council in Resolution 338, but on the Golan Heights the two armies still faced each other, with no agreed line and no one to supervise it.1

Syria demanded the return of territory, above all the town of Quneitra, held by Israel since 1967. Israel wanted a line it could defend and an arrangement that would prevent the fighting from resuming.2

The road there

  1. The 1973 war; the Security Council calls for a ceasefire in Resolution 338.1
  2. Kissinger begins shuttle diplomacy between Jerusalem and Damascus, lasting nearly a month.2
  3. The United States puts forward a compromise proposal; the last dispute is over Quneitra and the three hills around it.2
  4. The agreement is signed in Geneva; the same day the Security Council establishes UNDOF in Resolution 350.13
  5. The Assad government falls; Benjamin Netanyahu declares that the agreement has collapsed and orders the army to seize the buffer zone and commanding positions nearby.4
  6. The Security Council unanimously extends UNDOF's mandate in Resolution 2824.5

The people

What was agreed

  • A ceasefire on land, at sea and in the air, implementing Security Council Resolution 338.1
  • Israeli forces stay west of Line A and Syrian forces east of Line B.1
  • Between the lines lies an area of separation in which only a UN force is present; it covers about 235 square kilometres.15
  • On either side of the area of separation are two equal areas in which forces and armaments are limited.3
  • An exchange of prisoners of war and the return of soldiers' bodies.1
  • A UN observer force, UNDOF, with an authorised strength of about 1,250, supervises implementation.3
  • The agreement states explicitly that it is not a peace agreement but a step towards a just and durable peace.1

Read the document

The geography

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Schematic map of Israel and its neighbours with line typesGolan HeightsDamascusNaharayim / Baqura

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Layers · Legend
  • International boundary agreed in a peace treaty
  • Treaty line with Jordan, “without prejudice to the status” of the territory beyond it
  • 1949 armistice line (“Green Line”) — not an agreed final border
  • “Blue Line” — UN line of withdrawal (2000), not a border
  • Ceasefire / disengagement line with Syria (1974)
  • Other international boundary
  • West Bank and Gaza Strip: permanent status not agreed
  • Golan Heights: held by Israel since 1967; annexation not recognised by the UN
  • UN area of separation (UNDOF)

Classification follows the original research as of 7 Oct 2026. This schematic map is not a legal boundary map or a live update.

  • International boundary agreed in a peace treaty
  • Treaty line with Jordan, “without prejudice to the status” of the territory beyond it
  • 1949 armistice line (“Green Line”) — not an agreed final border
  • “Blue Line” — UN line of withdrawal (2000), not a border
  • Ceasefire / disengagement line with Syria (1974)
  • Other international boundary
  • West Bank and Gaza Strip: permanent status not agreed
  • Golan Heights: held by Israel since 1967; annexation not recognised by the UN
  • UN area of separation (UNDOF)

Schematic map. Lines are approximate and are not a legal determination. Data: Natural Earth (public domain), 1:10m scale; line classification and place names by this site. Lines as of October 2026. Peace map

The hard decisions

  • The hardest dispute was over Quneitra and the three hills around it: by mid-May the sides were a few hundred metres from agreement, and neither would close the gap.2
  • In the end Israel agreed to a Syrian civilian presence in Quneitra.2

Where accounts differ

According to The Israeli government
The agreement collapsed when Syrian soldiers abandoned their positions in December 2024; the Israeli presence is a small security buffer and a defensive measure.46
According to The United Nations
The 1974 agreement is in force; the Israeli army's presence in the area of separation violates it.57
According to The Syrian government
Syria is committed to the 1974 agreement and demands an Israeli withdrawal to the lines of 8 December 2024.7

What was carried out

  • The forces were separated and UNDOF deployed: by 16 June 1974 the force numbered 1,218.3
  • Since 1974 the Security Council has renewed UNDOF's mandate every six months; the latest extension runs to 31 December 2026.5

What was not

  • The agreement was described as a step towards peace, but no peace treaty between Israel and Syria was ever signed; see the 1991–2008 talks.1
  • Since December 2024 the UN has reported significant violations, including the presence and activities of the Israeli army in the area of separation.57

What remains open

  • Syria demands that Israel withdraw to the lines of 8 December 2024; whether the 1974 arrangement is restored is at the centre of the security talks under way since 2025.7
  • The UN demands a return to a situation in which UNDOF is the only military presence in the area of separation.8

Sources

  1. Primary United Nations (UNISPAL) · 31 May 1974
    Agreement on Disengagement between Israeli and Syrian Forces (S/11302/Add.1)
  2. Official archive U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian
    Shuttle Diplomacy and the Arab-Israeli Dispute, 1974–1975
  3. Official archive UNDOF (United Nations)
    UNDOF Background
  4. Press The New Arab · 8 December 2024
    Israel's Netanyahu declares end of Syria border agreement
  5. Press UN News · 25 June 2026
    Security Council extends critical stabilisation force in Syria
  6. Research Security Council Report · 2026
    Syria, October 2026 Monthly Forecast
  7. Research Security Council Report · 2026
    UNDOF (Golan), October 2026 Monthly Forecast
  8. Research Security Council Report · 2026
    UNDOF (Golan), March 2026 Monthly Forecast

Further reading