Syrian Leader Accuses Israel of Exploiting Oct. 7 for Political Leverage

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa used a panel discussion at the Doha Forum on Saturday to accuse Israel of leveraging the October 7 attacks—and its broader security anxieties—for political advantage, according to The Media Line.

Sharaa argued that Israeli leaders “take October 7 and extrapolate it to everything happening around them,” insisting that Israel has turned itself into “a country fighting ghosts,” The Media Line reported. He claimed Israeli officials distort their security narrative to deflect attention from what he described as “horrifying massacres” in Gaza.

As The Media Line noted, Sharaa broadened his critique to include regional instability and Syria’s posture since he assumed power after Bashar Assad. He maintained that Damascus has been projecting “a positive message regarding regional peace and stability” and that Syria has avoided confrontation with Israel.

Nevertheless, he said those efforts were met with force. Citing repeated airstrikes, Sharaa claimed Israel has carried out “over 1,000 airstrikes and more than 400 incursions” into Syrian airspace—figures he framed as evidence of “massive violations,” according to The Media Line.

His remarks come as minority groups inside Syria—including Druze communities in Sweida and Alawites in Latakia—report assaults by Syrian regime forces. International bodies such as the United Nations have also documented violence against these groups, The Media Line highlighted.

Earlier in the year, Israel conducted major strikes in Damascus near the Defense Ministry and close to the presidential compound. The Israeli military said the operations were intended to protect Druze communities spanning both sides of the Golan Heights, The Media Line reported.

Those strikes followed confrontations in Sweida, where Syrian government units fought alongside Bedouin militias against local Druze factions.

The Doha Forum also focused heavily on regional diplomacy. Arab leaders discussed developments in Gaza and the next stage of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point regional framework.

Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, told attendees that Doha does not consider the situation in Gaza a genuine ceasefire, arguing that such a status would require Israel’s complete withdrawal from the territory. His stance was echoed by Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who laid out Ankara’s view of what is needed to move forward with the U.S.-backed plan. “We are at the critical moment,” Al Thani said, according to The Media Line.