Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has revealed that Damascus is actively working to reach a security agreement with Israel, with the participation of several countries. Speaking in an exclusive interview on Al Jazeera’s Al Muqabala programme, al-Sharaa said he hopes the Syria Israel security deal could serve as a gateway to a comprehensive peace.
Golan Heights and Avoiding Conflict
Al-Sharaa assured that any such agreement would not compromise Syria’s right to the occupied Golan Heights, which Israel has illegally occupied since 1973. He said Syria is avoiding any clashes with Israel, and that a security arrangement could pave the way for a broader and more comprehensive resolution to the crisis between the two countries.
The remarks come after repeated Israeli incursions and strikes in southern Syria since al-Sharaa came to power in December 2024, following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government.
Lebanon’s Crisis and Regional Fears
Al-Sharaa also confirmed that Syria has no intention of launching any military intervention into neighbouring Lebanon, despite repeated rumours on the issue. Instead, his government is currently discussing ways for Lebanese authorities to help the country overcome its current crisis and steer it toward stability.
Southern Lebanon remains under Israeli occupation amid months of fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, with the Lebanese state seeking to reclaim the occupied territories and establish a monopoly on all weapons within the country. Al-Sharaa declared Damascus’s firm support for restricting weapons and confining decisions of war and peace exclusively to the Lebanese state.
He stressed that resolving Lebanon’s crisis requires more than a security-focused approach, calling instead for a comprehensive solution addressing a range of underlying issues. He warned that any descent into chaos in Lebanon would carry direct and immediate consequences for Syria, and that a potential expansion of the US-Israel war on Iran could trigger severe regional fallout.
Sanctions, the SDF and Missing Persons
On domestic and economic matters, al-Sharaa argued that simply lifting the economic sanctions imposed on Syria by the US and other countries would not be effective unless Syria is also removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Addressing the internal agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab armed groups controlling parts of northern and eastern Syria, al-Sharaa acknowledged a delay in its implementation. He affirmed, however, that the government remains fully committed to the agreement and continues to bet on its ultimate success.
Al-Sharaa also announced that Syrian authorities have established a special committee to manage the issue of people who went missing during Syria’s war, between 2011 and 2024. The UN estimates that around 100,000 people were forcibly disappeared during the conflict, while Syria’s National Commission on Missing Persons believes the number could be as high as 300,000. Al-Sharaa said the committee will operate strictly according to international standards, working closely with countries that possess specialised expertise in this field.
