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HTS Leader Jolani Pledges No Attacks on Israel, Demands Sanctions Lift

Dec 16, 2024, 07:43 PM

Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) who has taken control of Syria, has pledged in an exclusive interview with The Times that he will not allow the country to be used as a launchpad for attacks against Israel or any other state. In his first interview since taking control, Jolani, now preferring to be known by his birth name Ahmed al-Shara, emphasized Syria's commitment to the 1974 agreement with Israel, calling for the return of UN monitors and the cessation of Israeli airstrikes. He also demanded that Israel withdraw from territories it occupied after Assad's fall and called for the lifting of Western sanctions imposed during Assad's regime. Shara, whose group HTS split from al-Qaeda in Syria, has a $10 million bounty on his head by the US, and his group is designated as a terrorist organization by several countries. He has reassured Syria's minorities of their safety and outlined plans for stabilizing and rebuilding the country, including the return of displaced Syrians, the establishment of a transitional period, and the drafting of a new constitution. Shara downplayed the possibility of imposing Islamic law, stating that Syria will not deeply intrude on personal freedoms.