President Ahmad al-Sharaa (al-Julani) said Sunday that Syria is seeking a security agreement with Israel that could lead to comprehensive peace, but without conceding the Golan. He also stated that Syria will not deploy forces to fight Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to an interview with Al Jazeera.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa (al-Julani) said in an Al Jazeera interview published Sunday afternoon that any security agreement with Israel must preserve Syrian sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and reiterated that Syria will not deploy forces to fight Hezbollah in Lebanon. The conditions were reported by Al Jazeera and cited by Israeli news outlets, including N12 and ynet, marking the clearest articulation yet of Damascus's position.
As The Zioneer reported in a series of updates at 13:04 Jerusalem today, al-Sharaa had already stated that a security deal with Israel could pave the way to comprehensive peace, but without conceding the Golan. The initial reports, from N12, were followed by confirmations from ynet and Syrian media. By 13:04, the thread had expanded to include his explicit rejection of military action against Hezbollah, directly contradicting a reported request by US President Donald Trump. The corroboration evolved from a single Israeli outlet to multiple sources, including Al Jazeera's own transcript.
The statements come amid sustained US pressure on Syria to confront Hezbollah. As The Zioneer reported on June 17, President Trump said Syria could handle Hezbollah "without knocking down buildings." On June 16, The Zioneer reported that al-Sharaa had rejected a US proposal for military intervention in Lebanon, fearing it would portray him as protecting Israel. Hezbollah, for its part, issued threats against Syrian-aligned forces on June 22, according to Lebanese sources cited by The Zioneer.
It remains unclear whether Israel will accept a security agreement that does not include a concession on the Golan, or what form such an agreement might take. Al-Sharaa's conditions on the Golan and his refusal to engage Hezbollah represent clear red lines, but no further details on negotiations have been provided.
10 developments
- DevelopingSyrian President al-Julani: We are avoiding confrontation with Israel, working toward security deal
- StrongSyrian President al-Shara says would sit with Hezbollah 'at same table' if it serves Syria and Lebanon
- DevelopingSraya Harush: Lebanon agreement shift's thinking on security arrangement with Syria
- DevelopingSyrian President al-Sharaa's Independence Day greeting to Trump reported by Arab news channel
Source and signal
- Open-source intake