Syria's Interim President Says Israel Is 'Fighting Ghosts' — Calls For Withdrawal From Southern Syria

DOHA, Qatar

Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, accused Israel Saturday of "fighting ghosts" and actively searching for enemies in the wake of the Gaza war, saying his repeated peace overtures have been rebuffed.

Speaking at the Doha Forum, al-Sharaa said that since assuming power a year ago he has sent "positive messages regarding regional peace and stability," but that Israel has responded by "extrapolating" its conflict with Hamas and using security concerns to justify aggressive measures. He vowed that Syria would not become a country that exports conflict.

'We are not concerned in being a country that exports conflict, including to Israel,' al-Sharaa told the forum.

Al-Sharaa, who was once detained by U.S. authorities over alleged links to al-Qaida in Iraq, urged Israel to withdraw its forces from Syrian territory and to recommit to the 1974 disengagement truce that established a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria. He appealed to the international community to pressure Israel and said he hoped a negotiated formula could satisfy "reasonable" security demands.

"There are currently negotiations, and the United States is participating and engaged in those negotiations," he said.

Since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Israel has maintained control of a portion of southern Syria — a roughly 400-square-kilometer (155-square-mile) area that had been a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone under the 1974 disengagement agreement. Israel says it seized the territory as a pre-emptive measure to prevent militants from moving into the area after Islamist insurgents ousted Assad.

Israeli forces have conducted regular operations in towns and villages inside and outside the zone, including raids to detain people Israel says are suspected militants. At least 13 people were killed in an Israeli operation targeting suspected militants last month. Israel has also carried out hundreds of airstrikes on Syrian military sites and advocated for a wider demilitarized zone south of Damascus.

Earlier this month, former U.S. President Donald Trump publicly praised al-Sharaa's performance and urged Israel not to "interfere" in Syria's internal affairs, calling for constructive dialogue between the two countries.

What Remains Unclear

Al-Sharaa's comments underscore continued tensions in the region and highlight ongoing negotiations that involve the United States; details of any proposed security arrangements and timelines for withdrawal remain unresolved.