‘Fighting ghosts’: Syrian President alleges Israel uses Oct 7 as pretext for military action

The Israeli military said the airstrikes were intended to protect the Druze community in southern Syria, which spans both sides of the Golan Heights.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, speaking on a panel at the Doha Forum on Saturday, accused Israel of manipulating the October 7 attacks and its security concerns for political gain.

“Israel has become a country that is in a fight against ghosts,” he said, arguing that Israeli officials “take October 7 and extrapolate it to everything happening around them.”

Sharaa told the audience that Israel shifts responsibility to other governments instead of addressing what he called “horrifying massacres it committed in Gaza.”

He framed the criticism as part of a broader complaint about regional instability and his government’s own efforts since he replaced Bashar Assad.

According to Sharaa, Damascus has tried to project “a positive message regarding regional peace and stability,” and he said Syria has pursued no confrontation with Israel.

He claimed those overtures were met with airstrikes, saying the country has endured “massive violations of its air space” including “over 1000 air strikes, and over 400 incursions.”

His remarks come as minority communities in Syria, along with international agencies such as the United Nations, report attacks by Syrian regime forces on groups including Druze in Sweida and Alawites in Latakia.

Earlier this year, Israel carried out major strikes in Damascus near the Defense Ministry headquarters and close to the presidential compound.

The Israeli military said the action was intended to protect the Druze community in southern Syria, which spans both sides of the Golan Heights.

Those strikes followed clashes in Sweida that involved Syrian government units fighting alongside Bedouin militias against local Druze groups.

Regional diplomacy was a second major theme at the Doha gathering, where Arab leaders discussed developments in Gaza and the planned implementation of the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point framework.

Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told participants that Doha does not view the situation in Gaza as a ceasefire, saying such a declaration would require a full Israeli withdrawal from the enclave.

His comments were echoed by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who outlined Ankara’s view of what is needed to advance the next stage of the US-backed plan. “We are at the critical moment,” Al Thani said.