An Israeli tank crosses the ceasefire line between Syria and the Israeli Golan Heights, Dec. 11, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Avi Ohayon

i24 News – The leader of the Islamist rebel army that overthrew the government of Bashar Assad declared that Israel had “no more excuses” to carry out airstrikes in the war-ravaged country.

“There are no excuses for any foreign intervention in Syria now after the Iranians have left,” Ahmed al-Sharaa, or Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, told Syrian state media. “We are not in the process of engaging in a conflict with Israel.”

The leader of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) pointedly referred to the Jewish state by its name, rather than “the Zionist entity” or “the enemy.”

“We have ready plans for development and rebuilding in Syria, to address all its crises, and we are currently in the information-gathering phase,” Jolani further added. “Syria needs law and a state of institutions, the state must not be governed with a revolutionary mindset.”

Regarding the manufacture of Captagon, the jihadists’ drug of choice, for which the regime of Assad was renowned, Jolani pointed out that “the Assad regime deserves a global award for manufacturing Captagon, and we will put an end to its production in Syria.”