The leader of the Islamist-led Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group in Syria, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has strongly condemned Israel’s recent actions in Syria, accusing the country of violating the 1974 armistice agreement.
Al-Jolani, who now uses his real name, Ahmed al-Sharaa, leads the faction that recently took control from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Al-Jolani criticized Israel’s incursion into southern Syria this week, which has been described by the United Nations as a breach of the armistice. Israeli troops entered the UN-patrolled buffer zone that separates Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights, triggering widespread condemnation. The HTS leader stated that Israel’s actions have crossed the disengagement line in Syria, escalating tensions in the region.
In a statement released via the group’s Telegram channel on Saturday, al-Jolani said, “The Israelis have clearly crossed the disengagement line in Syria, which threatens a new unjustified escalation in the region.” However, he also acknowledged Syria’s inability to retaliate, citing the country’s general exhaustion after years of conflict. “The general exhaustion in Syria after years of war and conflict does not allow us to enter new conflicts,” he added.
Israel, which has controlled much of the Golan Heights since 1974, defended its actions, claiming that its operations were carried out in self-defense, particularly in light of the political instability in Syria’s northeastern region. In the aftermath of the HTS-led overthrow of President Assad on Sunday, Israel has reportedly conducted hundreds of air strikes targeting Syrian military assets, according to a war monitoring group.
