The Golan Heights dispute returned to the centre of the diplomatic spotlight at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2026, when Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa declared that the territory “will remain Syrian”, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invoked its biblical links to defend Tel Aviv’s claim.
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Addressing the UN on September 23, al-Sharaa accused Israel of violating Syrian sovereignty through more than 500 air and artillery strikes, over 1,200 land incursions and nearly 300 detentions since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. He called for Israeli forces to withdraw to the lines held on December 8, 2024, and reaffirmed Syria’s commitment to the 1974 disengagement agreement. He also rejected what he described as Israel’s attempt to impose a “fait accompli”, saying that the Golan would remain Syrian territory.
