The Syrian delegation's meetings at the UN General Assembly ended without signing the Syrian-Israeli security agreement, after negotiations were postponed when "Israel" added a clause to establish a humanitarian corridor to Sweida, a proposal Turkey rejected.

Another so-called "political victory" in the Syrian file, one that Trump had hoped to sign in his capital under the auspices of his special envoy to Syria, Thomas Barrack. Just days earlier, Barrack remarked: "Peace is an illusion. There has never been peace in the Middle East, and there will probably never be peace, because everybody is fighting for legitimacy. People say they are fighting over borders and boundaries, but borders are just currency for negotiation. In the end, somebody wants dominance, which means somebody has to submit."

This was in the diplomatic corridors. On the ground, "Israel" forced Syrian forces to withdraw all their remaining heavy equipment, all the way from south of the capital to the north. 

Israeli forces continued their incursion into Syrian territory and harassment of the population.

Over the past 10 months, Tsahal has taken control of a strip of Syrian territory approximately 10 km wide along the Golan Heights, extending to the border triangle area near Hamat Ghadir. Along this strip, they established 8 military positions of varying sizes and were able to seize roughly 3.5 tons of weapons and ammunition. They were surprised to find Syrian military sites exposing important Israeli positions.

Al-Sharaa from New York: 'We fear Israel'

Transitional Authority President Ahmad al-Sharaa arrived in New York under a US-secured exemption from the Security Council, as he remains listed on the council's terrorism list.

Washington removed him and Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham from the US terrorist list and attempted to take similar action in the Security Council, but this was unsuccessful due to objections from several countries.

Al-Sharaa’s participation marked the first attendance by a Syrian president there since 1967. He also held several meetings, the most important of which was with Erdogan, whom Trump congratulated, saying, "Erdogan was responsible for the victory in Syria. This was a victory for Turkey."

Al-Sharaa also met with Ukrainian President Zelensky and signed a joint statement with him announcing the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Relations were severed in 2022 after Syria recognized the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, prompting Kiev to sever ties with Damascus.

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But the most surreal thing was the dialogue session al-Sharaa held with US General David Petraeus, the former commander of the US Army's 101st Division, which occupied Baghdad in April 2003, and the former CIA director, which, until last year, offered a $10 million reward for any information leading to the whereabouts of al-Sharaa, then known as "al-Joulani" before becoming a Washington ally.

Al-Sharaa concluded his visit by holding a press conference attended by diplomats, journalists, and businessmen, in which he said, "We are not the ones causing problems for Israel. We fear Israel."

Majority of Syrians do not support normalization with 'Israel'

Several clauses were leaked from the agreement that was to be signed, the first of which was dividing southern Syria into three “security” zones. The first included expanding the buffer strip with the occupied territories by a distance of two kilometers, including Tal al-Hara in Daraa, and the summit of Mount Hermon, which allows the monitoring of the Damascus-Beirut road and the control of the Lebanese Bekaa Valley.

The second zone will be demilitarized, while the third will prohibit Syrian warplanes from flying over the area and will open an air corridor for Israeli aircraft to reach Iran, should "Israel" decide to launch new attacks against the republic.

In an attempt to launch a "preemptive strike" against "Israel", the Syrian authorities announced in early September a roadmap with the US and Jordan, which had sensed the danger of "Israel's" expansionist intentions after it demanded a corridor linking it to Sweida "in order to protect the Druze."

The roadmap included pledges from the authorities to secure the Damascus-Sweida road for aid delivery, hold all those involved accountable, and open a dialogue with the province's residents. However, the legal committee in Sweida (the province's newly formed autonomous administration) rejected this proposal.

For its part, "Israel" appears to be in no rush to sign this agreement and is receiving more free concessions every day, according to Dr. Ziad Jabbour (a pseudonym), an international relations specialist and professor at Damascus University, who spoke with Al Mayadeen English:

"Overall, the actions of al-Sharaa and his forces, from the coastal and Sweida massacres to the tensions with the SDF, have undermined any attempt to unite Syrians around him, while reinforcing Israel's false image as a 'savior of minorities.' Moreover, true legitimacy stems from within, from the people themselves, not from outside powers, such as the US and Israel, which continue to train, equip, and organize many of the fighters in Sweida while coordinating with the SDF.”

Jabbour considered that al-Sharaa and his forces are now clearly contradicting their claimed goals when he was  (al-Julani). He asked: "Why are the doors of Damascus open today to all those who are holding Israeli citizenship, including settlers, journalists, rabbis, and prominent supporters of Zionism, while many leaders of Palestinian factions in Damascus have been expelled, and anyone attempting to smuggle weapons into Lebanon or Palestine is being pursued? Why is the term "Israeli side" now officially used instead of "Israeli occupation"?

Jabbour emphasized that the majority of Syrians disagree with the current Syrian administration's policy of pursuing a deal with "Israel".

Because it "is merely seeking a deal," without any appreciation for the political and sovereign costs Syria will pay.

Regarding the legal aspect of replacing the 1974 agreement with the security agreement currently being negotiated, which is reportedly based on the 1979 agreement with Egypt, Jabour said:

“The two agreements are completely different in terms of texts and circumstances. At that time, Damascus signed after the war of attrition it had launched, and in an explicit manner: a demilitarized zone controlled by UNDOF forces was defined, as well as a 10 km zone free of heavy weapons. Syria's claim to the occupied Golan was confirmed, based on Security Council Resolution 242, which declares that the Golan is Arab-Syrian and from which Israel must withdraw. By contrast, the current agreement appears to contain not so much a concession as a disregard for our rightful claim to the Golan."