Syrian official appears to hint at normalisation with Israel
A Syrian official has appeared to hint at possible normalisation with Israel after being questioned on the issue by an Israeli outlet.
Ali al-Rifai, director of public relations in Syria's information ministry, was asked by Kan News about the prospect of his country joining the Abraham Accords, the agreement curated by US President Donald Trump in 2020 that saw a number of Arab countries recognise Israel.
“Peace with everyone, without exception,” he responded.
Rifai emphasised that Syria, which has just seen an end to 13 years of civil war, was keen to avoid any further conflict with its neighbours.
“Syria strives to establish peace in the region. As a nation, we genuinely want peace. Syria does not want war. We want peace with everyone," he said.
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However, he added they also did not "want any party to attack Syrian land".
"In other words, Israeli forces must withdraw from the areas they recently seized,” he said.
US lifts sanctions
Trump met with Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh on Wednesday, a day after his surprise announcement that he was lifting sanctions on Damascus.
The encounter, hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, marked Syria's most significant re-engagement with the West since the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's government in late 2024.
Trump used the occasion to call on Syria to join the Abraham Accords, urging Damascus to normalise ties with Israel as part of a broader US-led effort to reshape the region's diplomatic architecture.
Officially, Syria has continued to reject normalisation with Israel, citing the ongoing Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights, which it illegally annexed during the 1967 war, as well as repeated attacks on the country since the overthrow of Assad.
Sharaa has confirmed having indirect deconfliction talks with Israel at a press conference with his French counterpart in Paris last week.
In recent months, Syria's transitional government under Sharaa has intensified efforts to curtail the influence of Palestinian armed factions within its borders.
In April, following US demands for Syria to dismantle Palestinian armed groups operating on its soil, Syrian authorities detained two senior members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a group previously aligned with the Assad government.
The new government has also indicated that Palestinian factions will no longer be permitted to operate militarily within Syria.
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