Al-Shar’a Calls on Israel to Withdraw from Syrian Territories, Describes Bombing as a “Declaration of War”

The head of the Syrian transitional government, Ahmad Al-Shar’a, has called on Israel to withdraw from all areas it occupied after December 8 of last year. He emphasized that Syria has not engaged in any provocations towards Israel since the formation of the new government.

Al-Shar’a made these statements during an interview broadcast on the American CBS channel’s “60 Minutes” program on Sunday evening. He stressed that “Syria’s stability should be seen as a historic opportunity for the region, not a threat.”

Al-Shar’a referred to the Israeli bombing of the Presidential Palace in Damascus in July, saying, “Israel targeted the palace twice, one of which was while I was there.” He added that “the bombing is not a message but a declaration of war.” He emphasized that Syria does not seek a military confrontation but “will not ignore attacks on its sovereignty.”

Regarding potential past relations with ISIS, Al-Shar’a denied any alignment, saying, “If I had agreed with them, I wouldn’t have left them.” He noted that the group he led did not carry out any operations outside Syria and focused on targeting the previous regime.

Concerning the relationship with Russia, Al-Shar’a considered that entering into a conflict with Moscow at this stage would be “very costly” and not in Syria’s interest. He emphasized the importance of avoiding tension with international powers at this time.