This story originally appeared in the JC Israel Briefing. You can sign up to receive the briefing daily here.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has said his government is working towards a security agreement with Israel that could eventually pave the way for peace between the two countries, while insisting Syria would not relinquish its claim to the Golan Heights.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, al-Sharaa said Damascus was seeking to avoid further conflict with Israel.
He said that, if concluded, a security agreement could create the conditions for a future peace deal without Syria abandoning what it considers its sovereign rights over the Golan Heights.
Israel captured the strategic plateau from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and effectively annexed it in 1981, a move recognised by the US but rejected by most of the international community, which continues to regard the territory as occupied Syrian land.
Al-Sharaa, a former jihadist who led the Syrian branch of Al Qaeda, said Damascus was not interested in military confrontation with Israel and was instead focused on regional stability.
The Syrian leader also addressed neighbouring Lebanon, saying his government was supporting the Lebanese government’s efforts to reassert state authority but would not intervene militarily in attempts to dismantle Hezbollah’s armed capabilities.
He said Syria backed the principle that the Lebanese state should hold a monopoly on weapons and be the sole authority responsible for decisions on war and peace.
Al-Sharaa warned that instability in Lebanon would inevitably spill across the border, saying any deterioration or descent into chaos there would have direct consequences for Syria.
This story originally appeared in the JC Israel Briefing. You can sign up to receive the briefing daily here.
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