Amman is set to host a meeting on Sunday involving neighboring countries of Syria to discuss mechanisms for cooperation in combating terrorism, addressing drug and arms trafficking, and tackling shared challenges, according to a statement from the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The gathering will be attended by the foreign ministers, defense ministers, chiefs of staff, and intelligence directors from Jordan, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon.

The agenda will focus on how to support the Syrian people in their efforts to rebuild their nation on principles that ensure its unity, sovereignty, security, and stability, while eradicating terrorism, facilitating the voluntary return of refugees, and preserving the rights of all its citizens.

According to sources, the Jordanian focus during the discussions will particularly center on energy and water issues.

While fighting terrorism and drug trafficking remains a priority for Jordan, security and military aspects will also be prominent, especially following Israeli assaults in southern Syria and Israel's intention to establish a lasting military presence in western Daraa.

This meeting coincides with ongoing tensions along the Syrian coast, where Jordan reaffirmed its support for the Syrian Arab Republic’s security, stability, unity, and sovereignty, condemning all external interventions aimed at undermining the safety and peace of Syria and inciting chaos and conflict.

Against this backdrop, concerns have arisen in Jordan regarding ongoing Israeli incursions into Syria, particularly since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad, and Israel's military interventions in southern Syria that seek to create a new status quo in Syrian territories.

Jordanian authorities reportedly possess intelligence on Israeli plans that suggest a strategy for partitioning Syria, especially given the recent shift in power dynamics in Damascus and Israel’s interests in perpetuating instability in both northern and southern Syria.

An ongoing belief among Jordanian officials is that various interests converge to support chaos in the Syrian coastal region.

Israeli officials appear to be interested in maintaining discord between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the new government in Damascus, particularly regarding the Druze population in southern Syria, which Israel may leverage to support its alleged plans for dismembering Syria, thereby diminishing the chances of a unified Syrian state in proximity to Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government appears uneasy with the newly formed alliance between the Damascus regime and Turkey, seeking to hinder any successful economic and political reconstruction initiatives in Syria.

Israeli officials recognize Turkey’s interests in northern Syria and its opposition to U.S. backing of the SDF, which manages prisons housing members of ISIS and their families.

Jordan is reportedly apprehensive about Israel’s unilateral military strategies on multiple fronts, capitalizing on perceived U.S. inaction regarding post-Assad Syria and its future interactions with the administration of President Ahmad al-Shara, who is reportedly attempting to communicate reassurances that have not been explicitly acknowledged by Washington.

Jordan faces considerable challenges in southern Syria, particularly regarding the resurgence of dormant ISIS cells near the Jordanian border and the reestablishment of drug smuggling operations, which pose significant threats.

Control over water resources in southern Syria remains critical for Jordan, which relies on an estimated 100 million cubic meters of water.

In this context, informed sources indicate communications from President al-Shara to Jordanian King Abdullah II, proposing an augmented Jordanian military presence in southern Syria to shield Damascus from armed factions opposed to his governance.

Additionally, there are concerns among segments of the Druze population regarding perceived inequities in the treatment of cities populated by minorities in Syria.

Jordan maintains working relationships with groups in southern Syria, although it has shifted away from seeking a competitive role in supporting these factions, which had previously become defensive lines for Jordanian borders throughout the Syrian crisis.

Jordanian politicians have expressed views indicating that Israel's right-wing government represents a significant security challenge to Jordanian interests in southern Syria as part of its broader ambitions for Syrian partition, compounded by growing risks emanating from the west due to developments in the West Bank and ongoing calls from hardline ministers for the displacement of Palestinians towards the Jordanian border.

These circumstances have emerged amid a significant lack of diplomatic and political dialogue between Amman and Tel Aviv.