Al-Sharaa made these statements during a panel discussion moderated by former US official Brett McGurk and organized by the Atlantic Council’s Syria Project in New York, as part of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) sessions.

The president reaffirmed Damascus’s commitment to finding solutions through diplomatic channels and underscored that protecting Syrians’ security and rights is a priority before debating on lasting peace.

He emphasized that Damascus remains committed to diplomacy, dialogue, and negotiations, but protecting the security and rights of Syrians, along with an Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories, is the basis for any discussion on lasting peace.

Al-Sharaa explained that Israel has continued its military actions against Syria since the fall of the previous regime and occupied additional territory after December 8, 2024, in addition to carrying out incursions, arrests, and attacks in the country’s several regions.

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