Israeli Plan to Expand Settlements in the Occupied Golan Heighs
In a significant move following days of Israeli military incursions into the demilitarized zone near the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, the Israeli government has approved a plan to expand Israeli settlements in this region. The decision, announced on Sunday, was justified by stating it was acting “in light of the war and the new front facing Syria,” with the aim to double the Israeli population there.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized in a statement that “strengthening the Golan is strengthening the State of Israel, especially at this critical time.” He further added, “We will continue to hold onto it, make it flourish, and settle it.”
During a press conference last Monday, Netanyahu declared that “the Golan will be part of the State of Israel forever.”
Israeli Incursion
Since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime last Sunday, Israeli forces have advanced into the Golan Heights, which Israel occupied in 1967 and annexed in 1981. They have entered the buffer zone, violating the 1974 disengagement agreement between Syria and Israel.
Three security sources confirmed that the Israeli military incursion has reached approximately 25 kilometers southwest of Damascus, according to Reuters.
Disengagement Agreement
The Disengagement Agreement, which halted hostilities between Syria and Israel after the
October 1973 War, was signed in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 31, 1974. It was designed to
separate Syrian and Israeli forces in the area adjacent to the occupied Golan Heights along their
mutual border.
This agreement established a demilitarized zone stretching 75 kilometers along the border from
Mount Hermon to the Jordanian border, known as the “Area of Separation,” where military
personnel from both sides are prohibited from entering. The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) has been tasked with monitoring this agreement.
