Syrian president says Golan Heights 'will remain Syrian territory' in UN address

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa told the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday that the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights "will remain Syrian territory," according to a report from France 24.

Al-Sharaa's remarks came after Colombia recently recognized Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights, a move that aligned Bogota with a position the United States adopted in 2019 when it formally recognized Israeli sovereignty over the plateau. Most of the international community, including the United Nations, has continued to regard the Golan Heights as occupied Syrian territory under international law.

Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed it in 1981, a move not recognized by the UN Security Council. The territory has remained a point of contention between the two countries for decades.

In his address, al-Sharaa also criticized Israeli military operations, France 24 reported, without providing further detail on the specific operations referenced in the report.

Al-Sharaa became Syria's president following the fall of the Assad government, and his UN appearance reflects Syria's re-engagement with international diplomatic bodies under the new leadership. His comments on the Golan Heights signal continuity with the longstanding Syrian position that the territory should be returned.