We are not looking to engage in conflict with 'Israel': Al-Sharaa

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies + Al Mayadeen
Today 17:43
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The leader of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham Ahmad al-Sharaa says the toppling of al-Assad's government was "a victory over the dangerous Iranian project in the region."

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Ahmad al-Sharaa, aka Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, speaks at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024 (AP)

The new Syrian administration has "no intention of confronting Israel," said the body's head Ahmad al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, on Saturday.

"We are not looking to engage in a conflict with Israel and cannot bear such a battle," indicated al-Sharaa, who is also the leader of the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group that managed, as part of an alliance, to capture most of the Syrian territory and lead to the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last week.

Earlier, the Associated Press reported that Syria's interim government is urging the UN Security Council to take measures to force "Israel" to halt its attacks on Syrian territory and withdraw from northern areas it has entered, in violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.

Al-Sharaa claimed on Saturday that the new Syrian administration has no hostilities with the Iranian people, adding, however, that the toppling of al-Assad's government was "a victory over the dangerous Iranian project in the region."

Commenting on the Russian presence in Syria, al-Sharaa said the new administration could have targeted Russian bases in Syria but chose to give Russia an opportunity to reconsider its relationship with the Syrian people.

He also confirmed that the new Syrian administration is in contact with Western embassies and is holding discussions with Britain about reinstating its representation in the Syrian capital Damascus.

Elsewhere, al-Sharaa said the news Syrian state "should not be governed with a revolutionary mindset, and we need laws and institutions [to this end]."

This comes at a time when the Israeli occupation military continues to expand its occupation of Syrian territory, taking over the entirety of the Golan region and nine towns in the southern countryside of Damascus, positioning its forces just 20 km away from the capital.

The Israeli military has also launched nearly 300 strikes on Syrian military assets, destroying the majority of the Syrian Air Force and air defenses, which remained inactive and unable to defend against the aggression.

Syrian opposition figures welcome potential Syria-'Israel' relations

Meanwhile, Fahd al-Masri, the head of the Syrian National Salvation Front and a spokesperson for the Free Syrian Army, told the Israeli newspaper Maariv, “We do not want a war with Israel.”

Last week, al-Masri spoke with Baruch Yedid, the Arab affairs commentator of i24NEWS, thanking "Israel" for its "contribution" to the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"Without the blows you inflicted on Hezbollah and Iran, we could not free Syria," al-Masri said. He added, "Thank you, Israel. This is an Israeli victory, our brothers and neighbors."

In the same context, Yedid cited Abdul Jalil al-Saeed, described as the "former deputy Mufti of Syria," expressing optimism about potential "relations" between Syria and "Israel".

"I hope to see your correspondent reporting from the heart of Damascus," al-Saeed said.

In a special interview aired during the main news broadcast on Thursday evening, al-Saeed discussed the situation in Syria in the aftermath of the collapse of al-Assad's government, the country's uncertain future, and its relations with "Israel".

He said that “our northern neighbor, Turkiye, considers Israel a significant, even central, factor in al-Assad’s downfall.”

Al-Saeed added, "Leaders of the so-called Axis of Resistance in the Arab world believed October 7 would be their Noah’s Ark, only to find out it was their Titanic, sinking them instead."

He further claimed that “the Arab world views Israel as having shifted the course of events after betting that it could not sustain the burden of a prolonged military campaign.”

When asked by i24NEWS whether this could pave the way for peace between Syria and "Israel", al-Saeed replied that he “does not deny it” and expressed hope for the expansion of the Israeli channel's broadcasts into Syria.

“You could become a bridge for genuine peace between nations,” al-Saeed stated. “Perhaps you can attract a Syrian audience, and I hope to see your correspondent reporting from the heart of Damascus.”

i24NEWS reported what it called an “exclusive documentation of rebel voices from Damascus through their correspondent on the ground.”

Aired a few days after the collapse of the Syrian government, the report included footage described as part of a special feature to be broadcast during the main news bulletin on Sunday.