The leader of the Islamist-led rebels who seized power in Damascus has criticised Israel for its recent incursion into southern Syria but stated that his war-weary country is not in a position to engage in fresh conflicts.
Israeli forces entered the UN-patrolled buffer zone separating Israeli and Syrian troops on the Golan Heights last weekend, an action the United Nations deemed a violation of the 1974 armistice agreement.
“The Israelis have clearly crossed the disengagement line in Syria, posing a threat of unjustified escalation in the region,” said Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, who now goes by his real name, Ahmed al-Sharaa.
However, in a statement released on the rebels’ Telegram channel, he added, “The general exhaustion in Syria after years of war and conflict prevents us from engaging in new confrontations.”
Israel, which has occupied much of the strategic plateau since 1974, claimed its actions were in self-defence amid the political uncertainty in its northeastern neighbour.
Since HTS-led forces overthrew President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday, Israel has reportedly conducted hundreds of airstrikes on Syrian military targets, according to a war monitor.
Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, stated that the operations were aimed at neutralising “strategic capabilities that threaten the State of Israel.”