Damascus, Aug. 17 (SANA)Syria has intensified diplomatic efforts to challenge attempts to alter the legal status of theoccupied Syrian Golan, relying onUN resolutionsand growing international support for its demand that Israel withdraw to the June 4, 1967 line.

Damascushas pursued the issue at the United Nations and other international forums while engaging in U.S.-mediated security talks aimed at restoring arrangements in southern Syria under the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.

One measure of the diplomatic push came in December 2025, when 123 countries backed a UN General Assembly resolution on the Syrian Golan, up from 97 in 2024.

Resolution 497: The legal foundation

At the center of Syria’s position is UN Security CouncilResolution 497, adopted unanimously on Dec. 17, 1981. It declared Israel’s decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the occupied Syrian Golan “null and void and without international legal effect.”

The UN General Assembly has also repeatedly reaffirmed the inadmissibility of acquiring territory by force, called for Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied Syrian Golan to the June 4, 1967 line and rejected measures aimed at changing its legal and demographic status.

Israeli incursions after Dec. 8

Following the fall of the deposed regime on Dec. 8, 2024, Israeli occupation forces moved into the buffer zone and other locations on the Syrian side of the disengagement line.

The United Nations has repeatedly called for respect for the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, monitored by the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). Syria has condemned the Israeli occupation incursions and demanded the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Syrian territory they entered after Dec. 8.

Following the liberation, Syria stepped up diplomatic engagement at the Security Council and other international forums.

Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani told theSecurity Councilon April 29, 2025, that the Syrian Golan remained under occupation and called for implementation of Resolution 497 and Israel’s withdrawal to the June 4, 1967 line.

On Dec. 2, 2025, the General Assembly adopted Resolution 80/73 on “The Syrian Golan” by 123 votes to seven, with 41 abstentions, up from 97 votes in favor of the corresponding resolution in 2024. Syria’s Foreign Ministry said the increase reflected growing international support for Syria’s position and its diplomatic efforts.

Security talks separate from Golan issue

Alongside its UN diplomacy, Syria has taken part in U.S.-mediated talks concerning security arrangements in southern Syria and the reactivation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.

Al-Shaibani met an Israeli delegation in Paris on Aug. 19, 2025, for talks focused on de-escalation, non-interference in Syrian affairs and reactivating the agreement. Negotiations resumed on Jan. 5, 2026, focusing on restoring arrangements that existed before Dec. 8, 2024.

Syria has stressed that the security talks do not constitute a concession on Syria’s sovereignty or territorial integrity and that the occupied Syrian Golan is not subject to negotiation in the current discussions.

President al-Sharaa: Golan is Syrian territory

President Ahmad al-Sharaa has repeatedly reaffirmed Syria’s right to the occupied Golan.

At the Concordia Summit in New York in September 2025, he stressed that the Golan is Syrian territory as recognized by the United Nations. In an October interview with CBS News, President al-Sharaa said recovering the territory is a legitimate Syrian right under international law and UN resolutions.

At the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in April 2026, President al-Sharaa said any recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan was “null and void.” He reiterated in July that any security agreement with Israel would not mean relinquishing Syria’s right to the occupied territory.[8/17/2026 10:34 AM] Ec Sana: Colombia’s recognition prompts diplomatic response

Colombia’s Aug. 10 recognition of what it called “Israeli sovereignty” over the occupied Syrian Golan brought renewed attention to the issue.

Colombia became the second country after the United States to take such a position, despite successive UN resolutions maintaining that the Golan is occupied Syrian territory.

Syria condemned the move and on Aug. 12 sent an official letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the president of the Security Council, saying the recognition violated the UN Charter and Resolution 497 and had no effect on the Golan’s legal status. Damascus also called on Colombia to reconsider its decision.

Arab and international rejection

The European Union reiterated that it does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan and reaffirmed its commitment to international law and Security Council resolutions 242 and 497.

Several Arab countries, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Türkiye also rejected Colombia’s decision, while UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Claudio Cordone reaffirmed that the Golan is occupied Syrian territory under international law.

Syria continues its diplomatic campaign at the United Nations and other international organizations, demanding Israel’s withdrawal to the June 4, 1967 line and rejecting measures aimed at altering the legal status of the occupied Syrian Golan, while pursuing security arrangements in the south based on respect for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.