Sharaa says Israeli attacks on Syria at odds with 'joy' of global community towards his country

What Happened

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa used his address to the United Nations General Assembly to condemn Israeli military operations in Syria, saying Israel had launched 500 air strikes, conducted more than 1,200 incursions and carried out 300 detentions in the country. He described the attacks as 'at odds' with international acceptance of Syria's new government and rejected Israeli 'aggressions.' Sharaa said the Golan Heights will remain Syrian territory and called for a return to the 1974 disengagement agreement that established a UN buffer zone. Separately, Jordan's King Abdullah II told the UN that Israeli attacks on Syria demonstrate territorial ambitions beyond the occupied Palestinian territories. The article notes Israel seized the Golan Heights in 1967 and annexed it in 1981; then-US President Donald Trump recognised Israeli sovereignty over the Golan in 2019. After Sharaa came to power, Israel invaded southern Syria and occupied the buffer zone.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The speech marks Sharaa's effort to reposition Syria in the international community while confronting Israeli military pressure on Syrian territory. It highlights an emerging Turkey-Israel competition in Syria, with the US brokering talks between Damascus and Israel, and raises the unresolved status of the Golan Heights and the 1974 buffer zone. Jordan's remarks link Israeli operations in Syria to wider regional concerns about territorial expansion.

Watch For

Monitor whether US-brokered Syria-Israel talks advance, whether Syria formally seeks restoration of the 1974 disengagement agreement and UN buffer zone, and whether further Israeli strikes occur—especially any linked to reported Turkish troop deployments in northern Syria. Also watch for follow-up statements from Jordan or other UN members after the General Assembly session.