Syria’s President Al-Sharaa Warns UN of Israeli Attacks, Highlights Country’s Progress and Challenges.
Syria’s President Ahmad Al-Sharaa told the UN General Assembly on Wednesday that Israel’s attacks against Syria threaten to spark “new crises” in the region. Al-Sharaa, who led opposition forces in a rapid offensive to overthrow Bashar Assad late last year, became the first Syrian leader to address the UNGA in nearly 60 years.
He outlined his government’s progress and ongoing challenges after more than a decade of civil war, highlighting Israel’s airstrikes and military operations as a major threat. “Israeli strikes and attacks against my country continue, and Israeli policies contradict the international supporting position for Syria,” Al-Sharaa said. “These attacks threaten new crises and struggles in our region.”
Despite ongoing aggression, he emphasized Syria’s commitment to dialogue and to the 1974 disengagement agreement separating Syrian and Israeli forces in the Golan Heights. Following his forces’ takeover of Damascus in December, Israel seized the buffer zone, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring the pact “over,” and has since conducted hundreds of airstrikes and operations inside Syria.
Tensions have also flared over sectarian violence in Suwayda province, with Israel claiming airstrikes were aimed at protecting the Druze minority. The US has been pushing for calm, with Special Envoy Tom Barrack working toward a de-escalation agreement that would limit Israeli attacks and Syrian heavy equipment near the border.
Al-Sharaa expressed hope for the deal but stressed that “it is Syria that is scared of Israel, not the other way around.” He also urged the complete lifting of international sanctions to aid Syria’s recovery.
The president highlighted achievements since taking office, including a political roadmap toward parliamentary elections, reforms of civil and military institutions, actions against sectarian violence, and cooperation with UN investigative teams. “I guarantee to bring to justice everyone accountable and responsible for bloodshed. Syria has transformed from an exporter of crisis to an opportunity for peace for Syria and the region,” he said.
Al-Sharaa’s UN appearance underscores his rapid political rise from leader of an Islamist rebel group to international statesman in just 10 months. During his New York visit, he held high-level meetings with US Secretary of State Mark Rubio and French President Emmanuel Macron.
A symbolic moment of his ascent was a staged interview with Gen. David Petraeus, who commanded US forces in Iraq and detained Al-Sharaa between 2006 and 2011. Petraeus remarked: “His trajectory from insurgent leader to head of state has been one of the most dramatic political transformations in recent Middle Eastern history. I am a fan of Al-Sharaa.”
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