Maher Marwan, the governor of Syria’s capital, Damascus, stated that they want good relations with occupying Israel. He made these remarks during an interview on Friday (December 27) with NPR, speaking on behalf of rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s (HTS) leader Ahmed Al-Sar.
In the interview, he said that after Bashar al-Assad was ousted by the rebels, Israel became alarmed about border security, which was a natural reaction. This prompted Israeli forces to advance into Syria, carry out some bombings, and take further steps.
However, dismissing fears of Israel, the governor of Damascus said, “We do not have any issues with Israel. There are many who seek coexistence. Israel wants peace. They do not want conflict, and neither do we. We cannot be rivals with Israel or anyone else.”
Meanwhile, after the rebels advanced toward the capital Damascus, former president Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia on December 8. Shortly thereafter, Israeli forces took control of the remaining part of Syria’s Golan Heights. The occupying forces also entered the buffer zone along the border. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the newly seized Syrian territories would be temporarily occupied by Israeli forces. However, since the 1967 war, Israel has not relinquished the parts of the Golan Heights it previously occupied, despite claiming the occupation was temporary. Instead, they have now seized the remaining elevated parts of the region.