Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani and leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group, has criticized Israel for violating the 1974 armistice agreement following the recent fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Sharaa, whose Islamist-led forces seized control of Syria, condemned Israel’s incursion into southern Syria this week but admitted that the country is too war-weary to mount a military response.

The United Nations accused Israel of breaching the armistice agreement after Israeli troops entered a UN-monitored buffer zone in the Golan Heights last weekend, advancing nearly 25 kilometers closer to Damascus. Israel justified the move as an act of self-defense amid political instability in Syria.

Israel, which has occupied much of the Golan Heights since 1974, also launched extensive airstrikes on Syrian military installations after Assad’s overthrow. According to a war monitor, nearly 100% of Syria’s navy and air defenses were destroyed in the strikes.

In a statement shared on HTS’s Telegram channel, Sharaa said:

“The Israelis have clearly crossed the disengagement line in Syria, which threatens a new unjustified escalation in the region.

“The general exhaustion in Syria after years of war and conflict does not allow us to enter new conflicts.”

The recent developments have heightened tensions in the region as Syria struggles to recover from years of civil war and the overthrow of its long-time leader.