In a high-profile interview at the Doha Forum, Syria's interim president, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, delivered a sharp condemnation of Israel, accusing it of "exporting crises" and pursuing a military campaign against fabricated threats.
Speaking with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Al-Sharaa demanded that Israel withdraw from territories occupied in the past year and fully reinstate the 1974 deconfliction agreement that had maintained a fragile calm for five decades.
The Core Accusation: A "Fight Against Ghosts"
Al-Sharaa argued that Israel is using broad security pretexts to justify aggression across the region. “Israel has become a country that is in a fight against ghosts,” he stated, suggesting that Israeli leaders exploit the trauma of past attacks to legitimize military actions in neighboring countries like Syria. He framed these actions as an attempt to divert international attention from the conflict in Gaza.
A Year of Escalation and Occupation
This rhetoric is grounded in significant military developments over the past year. Following the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024, Israeli forces crossed into southern Syria. They have since occupied the strategic heights of Mount Hermon (Jabal al-Sheikh), an area that was part of a United Nations-monitored buffer zone under the 1974 agreement.
Al-Sharaa stated that Syria has suffered "over 1,000 air strikes and over 400 incursions" during this period, with a recent raid in late November killing at least 13 people. A major escalation occurred in July 2025, when Israeli airstrikes hit central Damascus, targeting military headquarters and the area near the presidential palace. Israel stated the strikes were a "warning" related to clashes in southern Syria.
An Irreconcilable Demand: Return to the 1974 Lines
The Syrian president's central demand is a full Israeli withdrawal to the positions held before December 8, 2024. He insists that the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, which created a ceasefire line and buffer zone after the Yom Kippur War, is the only valid framework. Al-Sharaa adamantly rejects Israeli proposals for a new, different buffer or demilitarized zone, warning that tampering with the old accord "could lead us to a dangerous place".
“Who will be protecting this buffer zone... if the Syrian army or Syrian forces aren’t going to be there?” he asked, asserting that Syria, as the party being attacked, has a greater right to demand security guarantees.
Israel's Position and the Stalemate
The Israeli position, as outlined by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is in direct conflict with Syria's demands. Netanyahu has stated that an agreement is possible but insists Syria must accept a demilitarized zone extending from Damascus to the Israeli-occupied areas. He has also declared that Israeli forces will remain in the places they occupied "indefinitely" to ensure Israel's security. This creates a fundamental deadlock: Syria demands a return to the old lines, while Israel seeks to formalize new ones on its own terms.
Domestic and Diplomatic Context
During the wide-ranging interview, Al-Sharaa also addressed Syria's internal situation, promising to hold those accountable for recent sectarian violence and committing to national elections within a five-year transitional period. On the economic front, he pointed to signs of stabilization, including major international deals to rebuild Syria's shattered power infrastructure.
Diplomatically, Al-Sharaa revealed that negotiations with Israel are underway with U.S. involvement. He also discussed efforts in Washington to secure the repeal of the Caesar Act sanctions. U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed support for Syria's new government and called for cooperation, issuing a veiled warning to Israel not to interfere with Syria's "evolution".
The opposing demands from Damascus and Jerusalem over territory and security arrangements underscore the profound challenges in establishing a new, stable status quo between the two long-time adversaries.
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