Syria accuses Israel of destabilizing region and funding militias

Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaybani has accused Israel of attempting to destabilize the country by supporting and financing armed militias operating outside state control in the southern city of Suwayda.

During a press conference in Damascus with Sabrina Dalafior, Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), al-Shaybani claimed that since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, Israel has sought to destabilize Syria through infrastructure attacks and the occupation of additional territory. He further accused Israeli forces of the forced displacement of Syrians and conducting arbitrary arrests, noting that the fate of dozens of detainees remains unknown.

The Syrian Foreign Minister called on the international community to halt these actions to prevent regional chaos. He urged a return to the 1974 disengagement agreement to allow United Nations forces to implement the buffer zone. Additionally, al-Shaybani called for Israel to engage seriously in US-sponsored negotiations that have been ongoing for eighteen months, emphasizing Damascus's commitment to an agreement that respects Syrian sovereignty and security.