New York: At a summit held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa expressed optimism about engaging in security talks with Israel but remained skeptical about Syria joining the Abraham Accords. The accords have led to the normalization of relations between Israel and three Arab nations. Sharaa, who is visiting New York for the UN General Assembly, expressed hope for a security agreement that could reduce tensions with Israel, while downplaying the likelihood of formally recognizing Israel.

According to France24.com, Sharaa, a former leader of rebel forces that toppled Bashar al-Assad in December, is slated to make the first address by a Syrian leader to the General Assembly in decades. The Syrian government is aiming to finalize military and security agreements with Israel by the end of the year. However, Sharaa expressed mistrust towards Israel, questioning its regional intentions and accusing it of violating peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan.

"There is also huge anger over what's going on in Gaza, not only in Syria but in the entire world, and of course this impacts our position on Israel," Sharaa remarked. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently indicated a new opportunity for peace with both Syria and Lebanon, following an Israeli military campaign against Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite militant group aligned with Assad.

During his visit, Sharaa also met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, though neither made public statements during their photo session at Rubio's hotel in Manhattan.

In a separate meeting earlier in the day, Sharaa reiterated his call for the United States to lift sanctions imposed under the 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act. Following advice from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, President Donald Trump had previously lifted most sanctions, despite concerns from Israel, though the legislation remains in force.

Sharaa praised Trump's decision and urged the US Congress to completely remove the sanctions, arguing that they have become an undue burden on the Syrian populace, who have already endured oppression from the previous regime. "We have a big mission to build the economy," Sharaa stated in an interview with retired General David Petraeus. He emphasized Syria's capable workforce and called for an end to the sanctions to enable economic recovery.