Syria's al-Sharaa at the UN: 'The Golan will remain Syrian territory'

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa condemned Israeli military operations in Syria during an address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, while saying peace between the two countries remained possible.

“The possibility of peace and security is open to those who wish to live in peace, a just peace that preserves the rights of all,” he said.

As Syria seeks to reestablish its place in the international community, al-Sharaa accused Israel of carrying out “hundreds” of airstrikes, incursions and arrests. He said the operations ran counter to efforts to move the region forward and recalled “an era we thought was over.”

Al-Sharaa called on Israel to withdraw the forces it deployed in the buffer zone after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in late 2024. Israel said at the time that the deployment was intended to protect its border amid uncertainty in Syria.

The Syrian president also reaffirmed Damascus’s claim to the Golan Heights, which Israel captured in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed in 1981. “Any attempt to undermine our sovereignty and violate international law will be stopped. The Golan will remain Syrian territory,” he said.

His remarks came a day after he said Israel and Syria had held direct talks. Al-Sharaa said further progress depended on an Israeli withdrawal from areas its forces entered after Assad’s fall. Talks on security arrangements could then pave the way for a “lasting peace,” he said.