Syria’s al-Sharaa warns Israeli attacks endanger delicate post-war recovery

President Ahmed al-Sharaa calls for Israeli withdrawal, condemning its attacks as Syria emerges from civil war.Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa has called for Israel to withdraw from internationally-recognised Syrian territory in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly, saying Israel’s actions undermined the country’s security and progress after a devastating civil war.“We reject Israeli attempts to impose a fait accompli. We reject their aggressions, which undermine peace and security,” he said, asserting that there have been “500 air strikes, more than 1,200 incursions and 300 detentions” in Syria by Israel.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Poor storage or sabotage? Series of explosions in Syria raises fearslist 2 of 4What Syrians want from al-Sharaa’s proposal of a ‘new Syria’ at UNGAlist 3 of 4US, Iran hold mediated UNGA talks on ending war, opening Strait of Hormuzlist 4 of 4Syria’s al-Sharaa answers questions on Israel’s violations in Syriaend of list“It is reminiscent of [an] era that we thought was long gone,” he added.Al-Sharaa, a former fighter aligned with Syria’s al-Nusra Front armed group, came to power in 2024 after overthrowing Bashar al-Assad’s regime.Journey of recoveryNow charged with rebuilding the shattered nation, al-Sharaa told the UN that Syria had emerged “from crisis to an opportunity”.“The bloodshed was stopped; destruction was stopped. Syria started the journey of reconstruction, of recovery,” al-Sharaa said, citing state control over arms, the lifting of international sanctions and the rebuilding of military and civilian institutions.In a speech lasting about 10 minutes, al-Sharaa also cited the “safe and decent” return of about 3.5 million refugees and displaced people, after the conflict spurred a refugee crisis that strained neighbouring countries and stoked persistent hostilities towards migrants in some Western countries.Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN Headquarters on Wednesday [Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP]This was the Syrian president’s second address to the UN General Assembly following his speech last year.