Syria doesn't want to be threat to Israel, President al-Sharaa says PHOTO

Syria has emphasised that it does not seek conflict and poses no threat to Israel or any other country, President Ahmed al-Sharaa said in an interview with foreign media.

"Syria doesn't want to engage in wars, and it doesn't want to be a threat to Israel or anyone else," he stated.

The statement comes after Israel conducted airstrikes targeting Syria’s army headquarters, the Defence Ministry, and the grounds of the presidential palace on two occasions.

"One time I wasn't there, but the other time I was in the palace close to the site that was bombed. To target the palace to convey a message, that's not a message, that's a declaration of war," al-Sharaa said, condemning the attacks.

Israel has publicly justified its strikes as a measure to protect the Druze minority, claiming that Syrian forces failed to safeguard the community. Al-Sharaa rejected this, describing the situation as "a Syrian internal matter that should be resolved legally by Syrian authorities."

Since the fall of the Assad regime, Israel has occupied strategic border areas and carried out air raids and land incursions, citing security threats. Negotiations, brokered by former U.S. President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, have sought to ease the tensions.

Al-Sharaa stressed that any agreement would require Israel to withdraw from territories seized after December 8th. "During negotiations, yes, for sure. Israel must retreat from any point taken after December 8th. Syria has not provoked Israel since we arrived in Damascus," he said.

Rebuilding the country will be a monumental challenge, with costs estimated between $600 billion and $900 billion, according to al-Sharaa. He called on the international community for support, warning: "The world watched this tragedy unfold for 14 years and couldn't do anything to stop this massive crime. So, the world today should provide support to Syria. Anyone who obstructs the lifting of sanctions on Syria is an accomplice to those who committed this crime."

By Aghakazim Guliyev