Syria accuses Israel of ‘fighting ghosts’ as tensions persist over southern buffer zone

Syria’s interim president has accused Israel of chasing phantom threats and exporting insecurity, despite what he says are repeated attempts from Damascus to promote regional stability.

Speaking at the Doha Forum on Saturday, President Ahmad al-Sharaa said Israel has rebuffed every signal of conciliation made since he assumed office a year ago, instead projecting the Gaza conflict onto Syria and using it to justify force.

“Israel is fighting ghosts and searching for enemies,” he told delegates, claiming that Syria would not engage in similar behaviour. “We are not interested in being a country that exports conflict, including to Israel.”

Al-Sharaa urged Israel to withdraw from southern Syrian territory that has been under Israeli control since late 2024, and called for a renewed commitment to the 1974 disengagement agreement, which established a demilitarised buffer zone after the Yom Kippur War.

Buffer Zone at the Centre of Dispute

Since the fall of former president Bashar Assad in December 2024, Israel has held a roughly 400-square-kilometre buffer area in the south, previously patrolled by the United Nations. Israel argues that the area was seized to prevent militant groups from moving in following the collapse of Assad’s regime.

Israeli troops have since carried out operations in towns and villages both within and beyond the zone, including raids aimed at detaining suspected militants. At least 13 people were killed during an Israeli operation last month, according to Syrian officials.

Israel has also launched hundreds of airstrikes on Syrian military positions and has continued to press for a wider demilitarised strip running south of Damascus.

US Role in Ongoing Talks

Al-Sharaa, who was once detained by the United States for participating in the Iraq insurgency, said negotiations were currently under way to defuse the situation.

“There are ongoing discussions, and the United States is involved and engaged,” he said, adding that he still hoped for a formula that would address “reasonable” security concerns on all sides.

Earlier in the month, President Donald Trump publicly praised al-Sharaa’s performance and warned Israel against interference in Syrian political affairs.

“It is very important that Israel maintain a strong and true dialogue with Syria, and that nothing takes place that will interfere with Syria’s evolution into a prosperous state,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Calls for International Pressure

Al-Sharaa appealed to the international community to put pressure on Israel to pull back to pre-war lines and respect existing arrangements.

He argued that Syria had been sending “positive messages” on peace and stability since he took power, and that the current approach from Israel was counterproductive.

“We have no desire to be a source of regional conflict,” he said, insisting that Syria would not mirror actions it sees as aggression.

With agency inputs