Al-Sharaa Demands Israeli Withdrawal From Golan in UN Speech; Katz Rejects It

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa addressed the UN General Assembly's 81st session on September 23, 2026, saying Syria 'is rising' and has reclaimed its place among nations since Assad's fall, citing the return of over 3.5 million refugees and displaced people, centralized state control over weapons, and the lifting of sanctions. He devoted much of the speech to Israel, saying Israeli forces have carried out '500 air strikes, more than 1,200 incursions, and 300 detentions' in Syria since December 2024, and demanded Israel withdraw from the occupied Golan Heights, insisting the Golan 'will remain Syrian territory' under the 1974 disengagement agreement. He separately said he had not ruled out running in a future presidential election if he judged it necessary to complete his reform agenda. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz rejected the withdrawal demand the same day, calling the Golan 'an integral, eternal part of Israel' and saying Israeli forces will not leave the buffer zone they have held since Assad's fall as long as 'jihadist threats' persist, warning that any Syrian territory Israel takes in future fighting 'will remain ours forever.'