A message from Damascus to the Druze and Kurds: Speaking at the National Dialogue Conference on Tuesday, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammad al-Julani) addressed Netanyahu's call for a demilitarized zone in southern Syria. "Syria is indivisible. We are in the stage of rebuilding the country. The unity of arms and the state's monopoly over them are not luxuries but a necessity," he asserted.
"Syria calls on everyone to stand united and cooperate to heal its wounds, bandage its injuries, and comfort it," added al-Sharaa, who previously led Tahrir al-Sham, a coalition of rebel factions associated with the al-Qaeda terrorist organization. "She has faith in you that you will not disappoint her after today, that you will not ignore her, and that you will remain vigilant to protect and rebuild her."
At the same time, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Shibani stressed: "We will not accept any harm to our sovereignty and identity. We will build relationships with those who stood by us while remaining open to those who respect our people's will." Shibani also stated that Syria would work toward lifting sanctions and creating new investment opportunities.
These statements come amid reports of the formation of an independent Druze militia in southern Syria. Meanwhile, negotiations have been ongoing in recent weeks with Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria to integrate them into Syria's new security apparatus. In early December, Islamist rebels toppled the Assad regime and took control of Damascus after 14 years of civil war.
