New York: At a summit held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa expressed hope for security talks with Israel, but remained skeptical about joining the Abraham Accords. The accords, which saw three Arab nations normalize relations with Israel, were met with caution by Sharaa, who questioned Israel’s regional intentions.

According to France24.com, Sharaa, who led rebel forces that overthrew Bashar al-Assad in December, is visiting New York for the UN General Assembly. He is set to deliver the first address by a Syrian leader to the General Assembly in decades. Syrian officials have set a goal to reach military and security agreements with Israel by the end of the year, despite ongoing tensions and past military confrontations.

Sharaa voiced concerns about Israel’s trustworthiness, citing its history of violating peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan. He also highlighted widespread anger over the situation in Gaza, which influences Syria’s stance on Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently spoke of a new opportunity for peace with Syria and Lebanon, following an Israeli military campaign against Hezbollah. Despite this, Sharaa remains cautious, having met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York, though neither made public statements during their meeting.

In a call for action at a New York hotel summit, Sharaa urged the US to lift sanctions imposed under the 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act. Despite President Donald Trump’s previous decision to lift most sanctions following advice from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the legislation remains in place as US law.

Sharaa commended Trump’s decision and appealed to the US Congress to completely lift the sanctions, which he argued unfairly target the Syrian populace. He emphasized the importance of rebuilding Syria’s economy, stating that the Syrian workforce is eager and ready to contribute once sanctions are removed.