The Syrian Future Movement follows with great interest and appreciation the visit of UN Secretary-General António Guterres to the Syrian Arab Republic on Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, July 26, 2026, the first such visit by a UN Secretary-General since 2009.
While we welcome this clear UN stance, we see it as an affirmation of the legitimacy of Syrian demands, an embodiment of the international community’s recognition of the seriousness of the “New Syria” process, and a step towards mobilizing international support to confront escalating Israeli violations.
First: The Syrian Future Movement commends the Secretary-General’s decisive statements, foremost among them his affirmation that “the Golan is Syrian territory,” and his description of Israeli violations as “unacceptable and must stop.”
Guterres’s statements came at a crucial time, coinciding with a dangerous Israeli escalation in southern Syria, characterized by repeated ground incursions, the latest of which was the incursion into two villages in the Daraa countryside on Sunday, July 26, 2026.
The Syrian Future Movement welcomes the Secretary-General’s affirmation that “the Golan is Syrian territory” and that “what is Syrian cannot be taken away.”
We see this stance as an adherence to international law, a confirmation that international legitimacy remains steadfast in the face of systematic Israeli violations, and a clear message that the international community is no longer silent regarding attempts to impose a new reality on Syrian soil.
Secondly, the Syrian Future Movement commends the Secretary-General’s commitment to submitting a detailed report to the Security Council on Israeli violations and his view that Syria’s recovery is “an investment in regional peace and stability.”
The Syrian Future Movement also notes that Guterres pledged, during his press conference in Damascus, to submit a detailed report to the Security Council by the end of this month regarding Israeli violations.
We support this step, which shifts the UN’s stance from verbal condemnation to institutional accountability and paves the way for deterrent international measures.
We also support Guterres’s call for the international community to “redouble its support for Syria,” considering its recovery “an investment in regional peace and stability,” and his call for “the immediate lifting of all sanctions.”
We see these calls as a genuine opportunity to translate international concern into tangible support for reconstruction and development efforts.
Third: The Syrian Future Movement highlights the humanitarian dimensions of the visit, most notably Guterres’s revelation that UN aid covers only 20% of the needs, and his visit to Saydnaya Prison.
The Syrian Future Movement notes that Guterres revealed, during his visit, a massive funding gap, indicating that the humanitarian aid provided by the United Nations currently meets only about 20% of the Syrian people’s needs.
We also appreciate this transparency, which demonstrates the scale of the humanitarian challenges and places a responsibility on the international community to redouble its efforts.
We welcome Guterres’ visit to Saydnaya prison, where he described the conditions of detention as “the epitome of brutal repression,” a symbolic step reflecting the UN’s commitment to uncovering past crimes and ensuring they are not repeated.
Fourth: The Syrian Future Movement reiterates its firm positions on upholding Syrian sovereignty and rejecting Israeli violations, as published on its official website, including:
- The statement “Israeli Aggression Against Syrian National Sovereignty” (dated July 16, 2025), which condemned the blatant aggression and the targeting of civilians.
- The statement “Amnesty International’s Warning Regarding Israel’s Destruction of Civilian Homes in Southern Syria” (dated May 16, 2026), which documented the systematic demolitions and forced displacement.
- The statement “Condemning Israeli Attacks in Quneitra and Daraa” (dated June 30, 2026), which denounced the repeated bombings and incursions and called for a firm international stance.
- The statement issued by the families of detainees in Quneitra (dated July 25, 2026) emphasized that the issue of Syrian detainees is a national and humanitarian one that is not open to compromise.
Fifth: The Syrian Future Movement stresses that Guterres’ statements and his commitment to submitting a report to the Security Council must be translated into a practical international stance that puts an end to Israeli violations and compels Israel to withdraw immediately and unconditionally from the occupied Syrian territories.
The Syrian Future Movement draws attention to the fact that the continuation of Israeli violations, which Guterres described as “unacceptable,” requires more than mere verbal statements.
We recall that Israel declared the collapse of the disengagement agreement after the fall of the ousted regime on December 8, 2024, and subsequently encroached on the buffer zone, continuing its violations with impunity.
The Syrian Future Movement calls on the international community, and the Security Council in particular, to take decisive measures, beginning with imposing sanctions on Israel and compelling it to immediately withdraw from all occupied Syrian territories, adhere to the 1974 agreement, and respect Syria’s sovereignty and independence, in accordance with Guterres’ pledge to submit a detailed report on these violations.
The Syrian Future Movement reiterates its welcome of the UN Secretary-General’s historic visit and his clear statements.
We believe that this visit, which comes after more than a decade of isolation, constitutes international recognition of the legitimacy of the new Syrian government and a readiness to support recovery and reconstruction efforts.
We emphasize that the true success of this visit depends on the international community’s ability to translate these positions into actions that put an end to Israeli violations, restore respect for international law, and pave the way for regional stability.
We believe that the new Syria, which today enjoys growing international support, is called upon to capitalize on this momentum and strengthen its position as an active member of the international community, capable of protecting its sovereignty and independence.
For its part, the Syrian Future Movement will remain supportive, critical, and observant of this path, striving to build the new Syria on the foundations of sovereignty, dignity, and sustainable development.
