Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said in his address to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York that Israel had continued carrying out attacks and incursions into Syrian territory, calling for the withdrawal of Israeli forces and reaffirming Damascus’ sovereignty over the Golan.
Al-Sharaa said Israel had carried out around 500 air and artillery strikes and more than 1,200 incursions into Syria since late 2024, in addition to around 300 arrests and detentions of Syrians.
The Syrian president said these operations threatened the stability of Syria and the region, reaffirming Damascus’ rejection of attempts to impose a new reality on the ground.
Al-Sharaa stressed that the Golan would remain Syrian territory, saying that measures to annex it had no international legitimacy and citing United Nations Security Council Resolution 497.
He also reaffirmed Syria’s continued commitment to the 1974 disengagement agreement, calling on Israeli forces to withdraw to the lines that existed before December 8, 2024.
Al-Sharaa: The Golan will remain Syrian territory
The Syrian president reaffirmed his country’s commitment to its sovereignty and territorial integrity, saying that international law and United Nations resolutions formed the basis of Damascus’ position on the Golan.
Al-Sharaa said attempts to impose new realities on the ground would not change Syria’s position, calling on the international community to fulfill its responsibilities regarding violations taking place inside Syrian territory.
Al-Sharaa made the remarks while participating in the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York. In his address, he also discussed developments inside Syria, the process of rebuilding state institutions, and regional and international relations.
