Damascus: Syria's new administration announced its readiness to fully cooperate with the United Nations if Israel withdraws from a demilitarized zone in the Golan Heights currently occupied by Tel Aviv. This announcement came during a meeting in Damascus that included Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani, Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra, and a UN delegation led by Under-Secretary-General for UN Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Major-General Patrick Gauchat, acting head of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF).
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, Syria confirmed its preparedness to work with the UN and secure its positions along the border as per the 1974 mandate, contingent upon the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces. The Syrian state news agency SANA reported that the UN delegation reiterated its commitment to resolving the issue and restoring stability to the border and the region.
The meeting followed statements by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday, asserting that Israeli forces would not withdraw from the demilitarized zone in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights and would remain there indefinitely.