Palestinian Authority (PA) cabinet leader Mohammad Mustafa met with Ahmed Al-Sharaa, head of the newly formed Syrian administration, during a visit to Damascus on Tuesday, reported the Turkish Anadolu news agency. According to a statement from Mustafa’s office, the PA cabinet leader “conveyed the greetings of President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian people to the leadership and people of Syria." The visit, the first by a high-level PA delegation to Syria in nearly two decades, marked a significant show of solidarity with Syria as the country navigates a critical period of transition. Mustafa reiterated the PA’s unwavering support for Syria and its territorial integrity. "Today, from Damascus, we look toward the future of Syria with hope that it will overcome the challenges of this phase. For us, Syria is a pivotal state, supportive and backing our cause,” he stated. The PA cabinet leader also emphasized the need to lift international sanctions on Syria, describing it as a “fundamental requirement for stability, development, and Syria's return to its rightful place and role in the Arab League.” "While we affirm the unity of Syria, we also reaffirm the unity of Palestinian territories and our people’s right to establish their independent and sovereign state based on international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative, under a single legitimate leadership represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO),” Mustafa added. The meeting comes in the wake of significant political changes in Syria. Former President Bashar Al-Assad, who led the country for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia last month after anti-regime forces, led by led by the Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) group, seized control of Damascus on December 8. A new administration led by Al-Sharaa, the head of HTS, has since assumed control. There are around 450,000 people in Syria who are registered as “Palestinian refugees”. They were historically denied citizenship by previous Syrian governments. As of now, the new Syrian administration has not announced any changes to its approach regarding the status of these “refugees”. In 2012, battles between Assad’s forces and rebel armies hit Al-Yarmouk , a Damascus neighborhood that serves as an unofficial camp for roughly 150,000 people registered as “Palestinian refugees”. Most of the Palestinian Arabs who live in Al-Yarmouk are descendants of Arab refugees from Israel's War of Independence, though few are themselves refugees. Related articles: IAF strikes three tanks belonging to Assad's army in Syria US army eliminates senior member of Al-Qaeda offshoot Does the New Syria pose risks to the region? Syria's new government to take power March 1 At the time, the PA sent an aid convoy carrying food and medicine from Ramallah to Al-Yarmouk, in a symbol of support for the “Palestinian refugees” in Syria. In 2016, the Islamic State (ISIS) seized most of the neighborhood from Al-Qaeda, which had been controlling it until that time.