Syria Leader says Israel targets Syria to divide, destabilize Syria

(MENAFN) Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced on Thursday that efforts by the Syrian state, along with assistance from international mediators, had successfully blocked Israeli attempts to destabilize the region.

In a national address, Sharaa stated that while Israeli operations had targeted both civilians and public facilities, “state efforts to restore stability and expel outlaw factions have succeeded.” He emphasized that this outcome was achieved thanks to “the effective intervention of American, Arab, and Turkish mediation, which saved the region from an unknown fate.”

He accused Israel of trying to turn Syria into “an arena of endless chaos” through efforts to divide its population, though he highlighted the Syrian people’s longstanding opposition to any form of division.

“The Druze people are an integral part of the fabric of this homeland,” he asserted. Rather than engaging in direct conflict with Israel that could compromise the safety of the Druze community and broader regional stability, Sharaa said the government opted to work with notable Druze figures to reach a peaceful solution.

He explained that key local leaders and factions in Suwayda are now being tasked with maintaining peace and order in the area. This move, he said, is aimed at preventing a “new large-scale war that might drag it away from its major goals of recovering from the devastating (civil) war and distancing it from the political and economic difficulties left behind by the former regime.”

On Wednesday, the Interior Ministry confirmed a new ceasefire agreement in Suwayda, which reportedly includes restoring full authority over the province to the central government.

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