Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, visiting New York for the UN General Assembly, has voiced hope for a security deal that eases tensions with Israel, but he played down the prospect of recognition, AFP reports.

“I hope that that will lead us to an agreement that will keep the sovereignty of Syria and also resolve some of the security fears of Israel,” Sharaa told the Concordia summit at a New York hotel on the sidelines of the UN summit.

But he baulked when asked if Syria would join the so-called Abraham Accords, in which the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco normalised relations with Israel in 2020.

“Syria is different as those that are part of the Abraham Accords are not Israel’s neighbours. Syria has been subjected to more than 1,000 Israeli raids, strikes and incursions from the Golan Heights into Syria,” he said.

He voiced doubts about trusting Israel, questioning whether it sought to expand in Syria and charging that Israel has violated peace agreements with two other neighbours, 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,” he said.