Al-Sharaa to UN: Syria seeks stability

Shafaq News – New York

On Wednesday, Syria's transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where he denounced al-Assad regime’s legacy and appealed for support against Israeli attacks.

Al-Sharaa, the first Syrian leader to speak at the UNGA since Noureddine al-Atassi in 1967, described decades of repression that fueled sectarian rifts, drug trafficking and the influx of foreign fighters. The conflict, he claimed, killed about one million people, displaced millions, and destroyed two million homes.

“The armed rebellion was a necessary response to a criminal regime,” he stressed, insisting it was a struggle shaped by “mercy and tolerance.” He added that Syria has shifted from “exporting crisis to offering peace."

He then accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "seeking to keep Syria divided" and undermining the 1974 disengagement agreement that once stabilized the Golan Heights front. “We call on the international community to stand by us in the face of these attacks."

Later, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced that negotiations are underway with Syria, "aiming to secure Israel’s security interests in the region."

According to the office's statement, the talks focus primarily on demilitarizing southwestern Syria and ensuring the safety of the Druze community residing near the border area.