Syria aims to reach a security agreement with Israel, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said Sunday in an interview with Al Jazeera, according to Reuters, as reported by Agerpres.

According to the Syrian president, such an agreement could pave the way for a comprehensive peace between the two countries, without compromising Syria’s right to the Golan Heights, a territory that Israel captured from Syria during the Six-Day War in 1967 andannexed in 1981.

Al-Sharaa noted that his country is seeking to involve a large group of nations to pressure Israel into adopting a more balanced policy toward Syria. “We are avoiding confrontation,” he added.

Shortly after former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was ousted by rebel forces advancing under Al-Sharaa’s leadership in December 2024, Israeli troops entered Syria and occupied strategic territories. Israeli troops entered a demilitarized zone on Syrian territory, including the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, which overlooks the capital Damascus, and the Israeli military regularly strikes targets in Syria to destroy weapons depots or military equipment. Israel also seeks to protect the Druze religious minority in Syria, a minority it considers an ally.

Al-Sharaa’s statements coincided with a visit to Syria by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres—the first visit by a UN chief to the country since 2009. In a statement published Sunday on Platform X, he emphasized that “Israel’s violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement are unacceptable and must cease” and called for respect for Syria’s sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Syria.

Source – AGERPRES