Syria23 September, 20262 min read
Ahmad Al-Sharaa Tells UN General Assembly Golan Heights Will Remain Syrian Land
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Golan Heights will remain Syrian territory; Israel's annexation is null under international law. Syria called for Israel to withdraw from the Golan at the UN General Assembly.
21 outlets told this the same way.
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UNGA: Golan remains Syrian
Syria’s interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa told the UN General Assembly that the Golan Heights “will remain Syrian land,” and he said “all measures of annexation are invalid and nullified by the force of UN Security Council Resolution 497.” Damascus remains committed to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and called for Israeli forces to withdraw to the lines held before Dec. 8, 2024.
“‘The Golan will remain Syrian land,’ he said, adding that all annexation measures are invalid under UN Security Council Resolution 497.”
Al-Sharaa accused Israel of attacking Syria “with about 500 air and artillery strikes, more than 1200 incursions, and about 300 arrests and detentions of Syrians,” and he framed the figures as threatening Syria’s stability.
Al-Sharaa renewed Syria’s commitment to diplomacy and dialogue in confronting Israeli aggression, and the Golan issue stood out as a key component of his speech in the UN’s 81st session.
Sharaa thanked countries that supported a December 2025 UN General Assembly resolution concerning the occupied Syrian Golan, and 123 countries backed it.
Netanyahu and France weigh in
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to Sharaa’s remarks from the UN General Assembly platform by saying that “the presence on the plateau goes back to the time of the Prophet Moses,” and he told the Syrian side that history proves Israel’s presence on the Golan Heights since then.
i24NEWS said Netanyahu directed at al-Sharaa: “You should know that Jews were on the Golan Heights since the days of Moses. You can read that in the Bible.”
France’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said France “respect internationally recognized borders,” and he added that “The international force between Syria and Israel must be respected and not attacked.”
Netanyahu revived allegations of “ownership by his country of the Golan” and called on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to review religious texts, saying “the Jews were there since the era of Prophet Moses.”
Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz warned that “the Golan will remain under Israeli sovereignty forever,” in response to al-Sharaa’s assertion in his UN speech.
Talks, diplomacy, and what’s at stake
Al-Sharaa told the Atlantic Council panel in New York that “Damascus remains committed to the diplomatic path,” and he said protecting the security and rights of Syrians, along with Israel’s withdrawal from territories it occupied after the fall of the previous regime, formed the basis for any talk of lasting peace. Al-Sharaa recounted telling US President Donald Trump directly that he had no right to recognise Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and Euronews quoted him: “Why don't you give New Jersey to the Israelis?” Al-Sharaa explained that several rounds of talks with Israel had been held, adding that “whenever we approach an agreement by 90%, Tel Aviv retreats at that point for various reasons.”
Al-Sharaa argued that the Golan is Syrian land as recognised by the United Nations and that its affiliation is not up for discussion, and he proposed an international committee to study Israeli security concerns. Al-Sharaa denounced repeated Israeli strikes and said “There have been 500 air strikes, more than 1,200 incursions, and 300 detentions,” while he held out hope for “the opportunity for peace and security” that maintains “the rights of all.”