Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa has firmly stated that the Golan Heights will remain Syrian territory, dismissing Israel’s annexation measures as invalid under international law. Addressing the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, President Sharaa asserted that attempts to impose “facts on the ground” cannot undermine Syria’s sovereignty or the applicability of international law.
“The Golan will remain Syrian land,” President Sharaa declared, referencing UN Security Council Resolution 497. This resolution explicitly deems Israel’s 1981 decision to impose its laws and administration on the occupied Golan Heights as “null and void.” He also highlighted a UN General Assembly vote in December 2025, where 123 countries supported a resolution concerning the occupied Syrian Golan, extending gratitude to the nations that backed it and urging abstaining countries to reconsider their stance on Resolution 497.
During his address, President Sharaa accused Israel of conducting nearly 500 air and artillery strikes, alongside more than 1,200 incursions and approximately 300 arrests and detentions of Syrians. He contended that these actions threaten Syria’s stability and defy international consensus, further rejecting what he described as Israeli attempts to impose “new facts on the ground,” which he said undermine security and stability across the region.
Damascus, President Sharaa affirmed, remains committed to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and continues to call for Israeli forces to withdraw to the lines held before December 8, 2024.
This appearance marked President Al Sharaa’s second consecutive participation at the UN General Assembly. He previously attended the 80th session in September 2025, making him the first Syrian president to participate in the gathering since 1967.
