PARIS: President Ahmed Al-Sharaa said Wednesday that Syria was holding 鈥渋ndirect talks鈥� with Israel to calm tensions between the two countries, following Israeli strikes and threats against Syria since Bashar Assad鈥檚 ouster.

鈥淭here are indirect talks (with Israel) taking place through mediators to calm the situation and try to contain the situation so it does not reach the point where it escapes the control of both sides,鈥� Sharaa told a press conference in Paris alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.

鈥淩andom Israeli interventions... have violated the 1974鈥� armistice, Sharaa said, adding that 鈥渟ince we arrived in Damascus, we have told all relevant parties that Syria is committed to the 1974 agreement.鈥�

Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on the country since Assad鈥檚 December ouster and has said it wants to prevent advanced weapons from falling into the hands of the new authorities, whom it considers jihadists.

Israeli troops have also entered the UN-patrolled buffer zone along the 1974 armistice line on the Golan Heights and carried out incursions deeper into southern Syria.

Sharaa said the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force must 鈥渞eturn to the Blue Line of separation,鈥� adding that UNDOF had made a number of visits to Damascus.

Macron condemned Israeli strikes on Syria, saying they would not guarantee 鈥淚srael鈥檚 long-term security.鈥�

鈥淎s for bombings and incursions, I think it鈥檚 bad practice. You don鈥檛 ensure your country鈥檚 security by violating the territorial integrity of your neighbors,鈥� Macron said.

Sharaa said that 鈥渨e are trying to speak with all countries that are in contact with the Israeli side to pressure them to stop interfering in Syria鈥檚 affairs, violating its airspace and bombing some of its facilities.鈥�

Sharaa said he and Macron discussed 鈥渢he ongoing Israeli threats,鈥� adding that 鈥淚srael has bombed Syria more than 20 times in the past week alone... under the pretext of protecting minorities.鈥�

Israel鈥檚 military said it launched strikes near Damascus鈥檚 presidential palace early Friday after the country鈥檚 defense minister threatened intervention if Syrian authorities failed to protect the Druze minority, after sectarian clashes in Druze areas last.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said the move was a 鈥渃lear message鈥� to Syria鈥檚 new rulers.

The clashes came after a wave of massacres in March in Syria鈥檚 Alawite heartland on the Mediterranean coast.