Syria’s President Ahmed Al-Sharaa said Wednesday that his country was holding “indirect talks” with Israel to ease tensions between both countries, after Israeli strikes against Syria, according to AFP.
Official Visit
Al-Sharaa’s remarks were part of his official visit to France based on French President Emmanuel Macron’s invitation.
French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized France’s support for the construction of a new Syria as “a free, stable, sovereign Syria that respects all components of Syrian society,” according to a statement by the French Presidency.
“There are indirect talks (with Israel) taking place through mediators to calm the situation and try to contain the situation, so it does not reach the point where it escapes the control of both sides,” Sharaa told a press conference in Paris alongside Macron.
The Syrian President added that “random Israeli interventions” were a great violation to the 1974” armistice.
“Since we arrived in Damascus, we have told all relevant parties that Syria is committed to the 1974 agreement,” he added.
Israeli Escalation
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Israel has launched hundreds of strikes on Syria and entered the UN-patrolled buffer zone along the 1974 armistice line on the Golan Heights.
Recently, Israeli forces have carried out an airstrike that targeted the vicinity of the Presidential Palace in Damascus.
The strike was “a clear message to the Syrian regime: We will not allow (Syrian) forces to deploy south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community”, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement.
Syria’s government described the bombing a “dangerous escalation” amid increasing hostility between the neighbors.
The Israeli airstrike came after Israel warned the Syrian government against advancing toward villages inhabited by the Druze minority in southern Syria.
Macron’s Condemnation
In this regard, Macron denounced Israeli strikes on Syria, noting that they would not guarantee “Israel’s long-term security.”
“As for bombings and incursions, I think it’s bad practice. You don’t ensure your country’s security by violating the territorial integrity of your neighbors,” Macron said.
A Call to Press on Israel
Meanwhile, Al-Sharaa said that “we are trying to speak with all countries that are in contact with the Israeli side to pressure them to stop interfering in Syria’s affairs, violating its airspace and bombing some of its facilities.”
Ongoing Invasion
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December, Israel has been intensifying military operations in Syria through several bombings across the country. Meanwhile, it has also been calling for decentralization and isolation of Syria.
Mainly, Israel has formed its stance based on its suspicion of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and a desire to protect the Druze.
Currently, it is deploying its troops in southern Syria to prevent the return of hostile actions against Druze villages emphasizing its readiness for defense and “various scenarios”.
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