Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has stated that security talks with Israel are a “necessity” and could lead to results in the “coming days.”
Al-Sharaa, who led the force that ousted former President Bashar al-Assad in December, ending the country’s 13-year war, made the comments to journalists on Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported via Sinjali.
Israel responded to al-Assad’s ouster by declaring that a 1974 security agreement with Syria had failed. It expanded the amount of Syrian territory under Israeli control and increased airstrikes in Syria, killing several Syrian soldiers in recent months.
The United States, which has supported Syria’s new authorities, has sought to mediate an agreement between Syria and Israel.
However, al-Sharaa said that the U.S. had not pressured Syria to reach an agreement with Israel and was instead acting as a mediator.
The Syrian president added that any potential agreement with Israel must respect Syria’s airspace, which Israel has repeatedly violated over the years, as well as Syria’s territorial integrity. He also stated that the United Nations would need to monitor any agreement.
Al-Sharaa noted that a security agreement could pave the way for other agreements, but a full normalization between the two countries is not currently on the table.
