Israeli FM says open to establishing official ties with Syria, Lebanon

Jerusalem, June 30 (IANS) Israel is interested in establishing diplomatic relations with Syria and Lebanon but will not withdraw from the occupied Golan Heights as part of any future agreement, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said on Monday.

Israel has no official diplomatic ties with Syria or Lebanon and has been in a state of hostility with both countries since 1948, when the State of Israel was established.

"Israel is interested in expanding the Abraham Accords and the circle of peace and normalization," Sa'ar said during a joint press conference in Jerusalem with Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger.

"We have an interest in including countries such as Syria and Lebanon -- our neighbours -- in the circle of peace and normalisation, while safeguarding Israel's essential and security interests," he said.

"In any peace agreement, the Golan will remain part of the State of Israel," he added, Xinhua news agency reported.

Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed it, a move not recognized by most of the international community.

Following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, Israeli forces entered the UN-monitored demilitarized buffer zone in early December 2024 and later deployed troops on Mount Hermon, which overlooks both Israeli and Syrian territory. Israeli officials have said the forces are expected to remain there for an extended period.

A ceasefire agreement has been in place between Hezbollah and Israel, brokered by the United States and France, which has been in place since November 27, 2024. The deal was intended to end more than a year of cross-border clashes triggered by the war in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army, meanwhile, continues to carry out occasional strikes in Lebanon, citing the need to eliminate Hezbollah threats.

In a speech on Saturday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said that Hezbollah had fully adhered to the terms of the ceasefire agreement, while accusing Israel of failing to uphold its commitments. "Israel's ongoing violations in southern Lebanon are unacceptable and will not go unanswered," he said.

He also reaffirmed the group's readiness to confront future Israeli actions and said Hezbollah would not be deterred by threats or external pressure.

--IANS

int/as