A contingent of soldiers from the was recorded chanting a jihadi war declaration against Israel during a military parade in Damascus on Tuesday, leading a minister from the Jewish state to issue an ominous prediction.
Amichai Chikli, Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Minister, stated, “War is unavoidable.” Chikli shared a video from Visegrád 24 depicting Syria’s new army parading through Damascus; Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa attended the military parade.
Per Digital’s independent Arabic-language verification, the footage captures the soldiers chanting: “Gaza, Gaza—our rallying cry; Victory and steadfastness, night and day. We rise against you, enemy, we rise. Through mountains of fire we journey. From my blood I craft my ammunition; from your blood, rivers shall flow.”
In a statement to Digital regarding his posts on X, Chikli commented: “The distressing testimonies from our Druze brothers about events in Sweida leave no room for doubt. A regime that kills as ISIS does, rapes as ISIS does, and destroys everything not aligned with itself as ISIS does—this regime is ISIS, even if it dons a suit and plays basketball.”
The Trump administration is advocating for a security agreement between Syria and Israel aimed at stabilizing the Middle East’s core region. Al-Sharaa at the White House last month.
At a Wednesday Jerusalem Post conference in Washington, D.C., Tom Barrack—U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria—stated that Damascus has no interest in acting aggressively toward Israel, per the newspaper’s report.
“Not long ago, Syria joining the anti-ISIS coalition was unthinkable,” Barrack noted. He added that the U.S. and Syria have neutralized nine Hezbollah cells and several Islamic State cells in recent weeks. “Since Oct. 7, Israel trusts no one,” he told the event, continuing: “That’s why we’ve offered to act as a peacekeeping force. Verification takes the place of trust.”
Barrack asserted that Jerusalem views Syria as “the easiest option” in the intricate Middle East security landscape. “Syria has no other choice,” he stated. “And neither does , if it wants to avoid endless military conflicts on all its borders.” He noted that the Abraham Accords—which normalized ties between moderate Sunni nations (United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco) and Israel—could be extended to include Syria.
The Associated Press reported that al-Sharaa told a weekend conference in Qatar: “Negotiations are currently underway, and the United States is participating and actively involved in these talks.”
The Syrian president is calling for Israel to pull its troops out of Syria and reaffirm its commitment to the 1974 truce accord.
Israel claims it took control of the 400-square-kilometer (155-square-mile) in southern Syria as a preemptive measure to stop militants from entering the region following the ousting of Assad by Islamist insurgents.
Israeli forces have frequently conducted operations in villages and towns within and outside the zone, including raids targeting individuals it identifies as suspected militants. At least 13 people in an Israeli counterterrorism operation targeting suspected terrorists last month.
At the Doha Forum in Qatar, when asked about his past as an member (the U.S. lifted its $10 million bounty for al-Sharaa’s arrest on terrorism charges last year), the Syrian president responded: “What defines terrorism or a terrorist? Labeling me a terrorist and judging me as such is political… We witnessed wars in Afghanistan and Iraq—all those who died were innocent.”
He continued: “Labeling someone a terrorist requires proof. For 25 years, the world has heard this term, but there’s significant confusion about what ‘terrorist’ means. In my view, terrorists are those who kill innocent people—children and women—and use unlawful methods to harm others.” He emphasized that he fought “with honor.”
Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, told Digital: “Syria’s ongoing security situation is extremely complex. Israel and Syria are engaged in high-intensity talks, mediated by the U.S., to reach a formal security arrangement—while the Iranian regime and its proxies are using armed subversion to block any potential agreement between the two sides. Reports indicate the U.S., CIA, and military forces are heavily involved in securing and stabilizing Syria, which explains President Trump’s recent statements to Israel about upholding the framework there.”
He added: “It’s crucial to note that and its affiliated cells and groups are doing everything to derail a security agreement between the al-Sharaa government and Israel. The Iranian regime and its linked terror groups have attempted to assassinate al-Sharaa multiple times. They are deploying terror cells in southern Syria and pushing them toward Israel’s border—this is what has sparked ongoing Israeli counterterrorism strikes, as seen in Bet Jinn.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently visited reserve soldiers wounded in clashes with Syrian terrorists in Bet Jinn. There, he stated: “Since Oct. 7, we are committed to defending our border communities—including the northern border—preventing terrorists from establishing a foothold and carrying out hostile acts against us, protecting our Druze allies, and ensuring the State of Israel is safe from ground attacks and other threats from border regions.”
He continued: “Naturally, we expect Syria to create a demilitarized buffer zone stretching from Damascus to the buffer zone area—including the approaches to Mount Hermon and its summit. We control these territories to safeguard Israeli citizens, and this is our obligation. With goodwill and mutual understanding of these principles, an agreement with Syria is possible—but we will uphold our principles regardless.”