AL-SHARAA TELLS UN GOLAN HEIGHTS WILL REMAIN SYRIAN

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa told the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday that the Golan Heights "will remain Syrian territories," warning that any move violating Syria's sovereignty or breaching international law would be stopped. It was his second address to the assembly since the removal of former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and has occupied the plateau since. Al-Sharaa's comments followed Colombia's decision last month to recognise Israeli sovereignty over the territory. He also used the speech to raise concerns about Israeli military activity inside Syria.

Until Colombia's move, the United States had been the only country to recognise Israel's 1981 annexation of the Golan Heights, according to the report. The United Nations maintains that the Golan Heights remain Syrian territory under Israeli military occupation. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in July that the occupation was "totally unacceptable," reiterating the organisation's position that the plateau belongs to Syria. Al-Sharaa cited figures of 500 Israeli air strikes, more than 1,200 incursions and 300 detentions in Syria since Assad's removal, saying this was "at odds with the orientation we're seeing at global level" and "reminiscent of an era that we thought was long gone."

Al-Sharaa said the chance for "a just peace that maintains the rights of all" remained available to those who wanted to live peacefully. At a separate discussion hosted by the Atlantic Council on Tuesday, he said Syria sought a peaceful resolution with Israel. He added that negotiations between the two countries had resolved nearly 90 percent of the outstanding issues needed for a security agreement, according to his own account. No date was given for when a full agreement might be reached. Separately, UN News reported that al-Sharaa told the assembly Syria was entering a "new phase of revival."