Golan Heights: strategic Israeli-occupied plateau on Syria border
Golan Heights: strategic Israeli-occupied plateau on Syria border/node/2583336/middle-east
Golan Heights: strategic Israeli-occupied plateau on Syria border
An Israeli army jeep drives in the buffer zone, which separates Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights, near the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Israel-annexed Golan Heights on December 14, 2024. (AFP)
Golan Heights: strategic Israeli-occupied plateau on Syria border
A foreign ministry spokesman in Berlin said "it is perfectly clear under international law that this area controlled by Israel belongs to Syria and that Israel is therefore an occupying power"
Updated 17 December 2024
AFP
JERUSALEM: Since the toppling of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad more than a week ago, Israel has sparked international condemnation with its moves in the Golan Heights, a strategic territory on the border with Syria.
Israel has occupied most of the Golan since 1967 and in 1981 annexed the area, in a move recognised only by the United States during President Donald Trump's first term.
Here is a look at the territory, its history, and significance:
The Golan Heights are a popular nature spot for Israelis. The plateau overlooks Lebanon and Jordan and offers sweeping views of Israel to the west and deep into Syria to the northeast.
The area is bordered by Mount Hermon, whose snowy peak rises to more than 2,800 metres, popular with skiers.
Israel conquered around two-thirds of the Golan during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, and one month later established its first civilian settlement there, Merom Golan. Twelve additional communities were created by 1970.
Further fighting erupted during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, with clashes continuing into the following year until Israel and Syria reached an agreement on an armistice line that for most of the past 50 years has remained peaceful.
As part of the deal, an 80 kilometre-long (50 mile) United Nations-patrolled buffer zone was created on the east of Israeli-occupied territory, separating it from the Syrian side and watched over by the multinational UN Disengagement and Observer Force. UNDOF's positions include a post atop Mount Hermon.
Syria retains control of the rest of the Golan east of the buffer zone.
In December 1981, Israel annexed the Golan territory it had occupied.
Today the Golan Heights are still sparsely settled but are home to an estimated 30,000 Jewish residents who live in more than 30 settlements, along with about 23,000 Druze.
The Druze, whose presence predates the Israeli occupation, are an Arab ethno-religious minority who also live in Lebanon, Jordan and Israel as well as Syria and the occupied Golan.
Many have not accepted Israeli nationality, and still identify as Syrian.
The Golan is also home to multiple Israeli military bases.
In 2019, during his first term in office, then-US president Donald Trump formally recognised Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan, making the United States the only country to do so.
The move prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in June of 2019 to announce the creation of a new settlement, Trump Heights, named after the US leader.
On Sunday, a week after Islamist-led rebels toppled Assad in a lightning offensive, the Israeli government approved a 40 million shekel ($11 million) plan to double the population of the Golan.
Netanyahu's office said the plan comes "in light of the war and the new front in Syria and the desire to double the population."
He said that strengthening the Golan was key to strengthening Israel, after declaring a week earlier that the Golan would remain in Israel's hands "for eternity".
"We have no interest in confronting Syria. Israel's policy toward Syria will be determined by the evolving reality on the ground," Netanyahu said in a separate video statement.
Israel has previously announced plans to increase the number of settlers in the Golan, with the government of then-premier Naftali Bennett approving a $317 million, five-year programme to double the settler population in December 2021.
At the time, the Israeli population in the occupied Golan Heights was around 25,000.
Germany was among those opposing the new plan.
A foreign ministry spokesman in Berlin said "it is perfectly clear under international law that this area controlled by Israel belongs to Syria and that Israel is therefore an occupying power".
Riyadh's foreign ministry expressed "condemnation and denunciation" of the plan, which it called part of "continued sabotage of opportunities to restore security and stability in Syria" after Assad's overthrow.
Days earlier, while Assad's rule was collapsing in Syria, Netanyahu ordered troops into the buffer zone, saying it was a temporary and defensive measure in light of the "vacuum on Israel's border and in the buffer zone".
On Friday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered troops to "prepare to remain" in the buffer for the winter.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and an Israeli government spokesman both confirmed that Israeli troops had also moved beyond the demarcated buffer zone.
Israel's move into the buffer zone was also widely condemned.
A UN spokesman called it a violation of the 1974 disengagement agreement.
A Turkish foreign ministry statement said Israel had moved into the buffer zone at a sensitive time for Syria.
"When the possibility of achieving the peace and stability the Syrian people have desired for many years has emerged, Israel is once again displaying its occupying mentality," the statement said.
Jordan’s King Abdullah backs Syria’s stability at regional meeting in Amman
Followed a broader regional meeting that brought together foreign and defense ministers from neighboring countries
Updated 13 sec ago
Arab News
AMMAN: King Abdullah II on Sunday received representatives of Syria, Turkiye, Iraq and Lebanon participating in a high-level meeting of Syria’s neighboring countries, hosted by Jordan.
During the meeting, at Al-Husseiniya Palace in Amman, the king reaffirmed Jordan’s commitment to supporting Syria’s security, stability and territorial integrity, as well as safeguarding the rights of its citizens.
Discussions focused on the importance of coordinated efforts among Syria and its neighboring countries to address regional security challenges, particularly countering terrorism, maintaining border security, and curbing drug and arms smuggling.
The king also stressed the need to facilitate the voluntary and safe return of Syrian refugees, enabling them to take part in the country’s reconstruction efforts.
Earlier in the day, a broader regional meeting began at the King Hussein Club in Amman, bringing together foreign and defense ministers, chiefs of staff and intelligence agency directors from Jordan, Turkiye, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.
The meeting followed days of clashes between Syrian security forces and insurgents of the minority Alawite community loyal to the deposed Bashar Assad government in Syria’s coastal province.
Participants discussed strategies for eliminating terrorism, ensuring border stability and supporting the Syrian people in rebuilding their country on a foundation that guaranteed its unity and sovereignty.
“Stability in Syria requires dialogue with the country’s various components,” said Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein at a joint news conference afterward.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan welcomed the “historic” meeting and called for cooperation to decrease tension in Syria.
Syria’s neighboring foreign ministers call for lifting sanctions, reconciliation
Syria’s neighbors fear that the country’s pulverized economy and internal tensions could impact their own stability
Ministers were critical of what they said was foreign intervention in the region after Israeli troops conducted military operations in southern Syria
Updated 33 min 2 sec ago
AP
AMMAN: Syria’s top diplomat and his counterparts from neighboring countries Sunday called for the lifting of Western-led sanctions on Syria and post-war reconciliation.
The foreign ministers of Turkiye, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon made their remarks alongside Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani following a meeting in the Jordanian capital Amman.
It comes following days of clashes between Syrian security forces and insurgents of the minority Alawite community loyal to the deposed Bashar Assad government in Syria’s coastal province. Some rights groups say the fighting has killed hundreds. The Associated Press could not independently verify those numbers.
The United States and Europe have been hesitant to lift sanctions on Syria before there is a clear political transition that is democratic and inclusive of Syria’s minorities and civil society. At the same time, the country desperately needs money to rebuild after years of war and pull millions out of poverty. The United Nations estimates that some 90 percent of Syria’s population lives in poverty.
“We are protecting all components of the Syrian people, and we do not discriminate between them. We will not allow the repetition of the tragedies of the Syrian people,” said Al-Shibani.
Syria’s new authorities under President Ahmad Al-Sharaa have struggled to convince the United States and Europe to lift sanctions to start rebuilding the country after 13 years of war and reconcile with the Kurds in the northeast and Druze in the south to exert state authority across the country.
Syria’s neighbors fear that the country’s pulverized economy and internal tensions could impact their own stability.
“Stability in Syria requires dialogue with the country’s various components,” said Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein at a joint news conference.
The foreign ministers were critical of what they said was foreign intervention in the region after Israeli troops conducted military operations in southern Syria and seized a UN buffer zone that divides Syria from the Golan Heights, which Israel seized and annexed in 1967. On Sunday, the Israeli commanding officers visited and assessed the buffer zone.
Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan welcomed the “historic” meeting and called for cooperation to decrease tension in Syria, and said he alongside others will work against sleeper cells belonging to the extremist Daesh group and affiliates of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party in Syria and Iraq.
“This is a regional problem. Regardless of our ideals we should all combat IS as well as the PKK, they are both terrorist entities,” he added.
Iraq’s foreign minister warned that Daesh sleeper cells are growing in numbers.
“We need to take the initiative first in exchanging views and information about (the Daesh group’s) latest operations and especially their expansion not only on the Syrian borders with Iraq and Jordan but also their expansion in the Syrian land,” said Hussein.
Israel says it is cutting off its electricity supply to Gaza
Sunday’s announcement comes a week after Israel cut off all supplies of goods to the territory to over 2 million people
Gaza has been largely devastated by the war, and generators and solar panels are used for some of the power supply
Updated 09 March 2025
AP
JERUSALEM: Israel says it is cutting off its electricity supply to Gaza. The full effects of that are not immediately clear, but the territory’s desalination plants receive power for producing drinking water.
Sunday’s announcement comes a week after Israel cut off all supplies of goods to the territory to over 2 million people. It has sought to press Hamas to accept an extension of the first phase of their ceasefire. That phase ended last weekend.
Hamas has pressed to start negotiations on the ceasefire’s more difficult second phase instead.
Gaza has been largely devastated by the war, and generators and solar panels are used for some of the power supply.
US envoy says Gaza hostage deal possible ‘within weeks’
“I think something could come together within weeks... I think there is a deal where they can get all of the prisoners out, not just the Americans,” Boehler said
Updated 09 March 2025
AFP
WASHINGTON: The US hostage envoy who held unprecedented direct talks with Hamas said Sunday he was confident a deal could be reached “within weeks” to free all civilians still held by the Palestinian militants.
Speaking to CNN, Adam Boehler — a Jewish American — acknowledged it had been “odd” sitting face-to-face with leaders of a group that the United States has listed as a “terrorist” organization since 1997. The talks took place in recent weeks.
Boehler said he understood Israel’s “consternation” that the US had held talks at all with the group, but said he had been seeking to jump-start the “fragile” negotiations.
“In the end, I think it was a very helpful meeting,” he said, adding: “I think something could come together within weeks... I think there is a deal where they can get all of the prisoners out, not just the Americans.”
Boehler suggested there was a chance of further talks with the militants, telling CNN: “You never know. You know sometimes you’re in the area and you drop by.”
Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, taking 251 hostages — including a number of Americans. An estimated 58 hostages remain in Gaza.
Israel invaded Gaza in response, waging a relentless war for more than 15 months and displacing much of the population.
The first phase of a truce revolving around the release of some hostages ended earlier this month, and both sides are disputing when to move into the second phase, which aims at a more permanent peace.
Last week, US President Donald Trump threatened further destruction of Gaza if all remaining hostages were not released, issuing what he called a “last warning” to Hamas leaders.
“I understand the consternation and the concern” on Israel’s part at the talks, Boehler said, adding: “We’re the United States. We’re not an agent of Israel.”
He described his feelings on sitting across from the militants.
“I think when you walk and you sit in front of somebody, and you know what they’ve done, it’s hard not to think of it,” he said.
He said it was important to identify with their humanity, but admitted, “It definitely feels a little odd knowing what they really are.”
Hamas’s attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, most of them civilians, according to official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 48,458 people in Gaza, the majority of them civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. The UN considers these figures reliable.
Frankly Speaking: Assessing the Arab League plan for Gaza
Saudi columnist Abdulrahman Al-Rashed says Arab League proposal may not be perfect, but presenting alternative to US and Israeli plans keeps negotiations moving
Believes President Trump should be given space to solve the Middle East crisis, but insists only the Palestinian Authority has legitimacy to govern Gaza
Updated 09 March 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: Although the Arab League’s plan for Gaza, announced at the Cairo summit on March 4, has faced outright rejection by the US and Israel, it still plays a crucial role in keeping negotiations alive, according to renowned Saudi columnist and political analyst Abdulrahman Al-Rashed.
Appearing on the Arab News current affairs program “Frankly Speaking,” Al-Rashed provided a candid assessment of the Arab League’s plan for postwar Gaza, how it stacks up against rival proposals, and the evolving political landscape in Lebanon, Syria, and Saudi Arabia.
The Arab League’s extraordinary summit took place last week in response to US President Donald Trump’s controversial suggestion that the US could take over Gaza, displace its Palestinian population to Egypt and Jordan, and redevelop the land as a leisure resort.
By contrast, the Arab League plan, which has won the backing of European leaders, calls for Gaza to be governed temporarily by a committee of independent experts and for international peacekeepers to be deployed to the territory.
The committee would be responsible for overseeing humanitarian aid and temporarily managing Gaza’s affairs under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority. The territory would be rebuilt at a cost of $53 billion without the need to displace the population.
“I think this leaves us with three plans now,” Al-Rashed told “Frankly Speaking” host Katie Jensen.
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed provided a candid assessment of the Arab League’s plan for postwar Gaza, how it stacks up against rival proposals, and the changing political landscape in Lebanon and Syria. (AN photos)
“One is the Arab League plan, which says people stay in Gaza and reconstruction should be done in five years. And the Israeli plan, which is basically occupation and probably continuation of military activities.
“And, of course, we have the Trump plan, which is ‘the riviera,’ two million people should leave, and reconstruction of the whole area to make it livable. I don’t know whether the two million will come back or not. But the three plans are now on the table.
“I am not really sure if the Cairo summit has succeeded in convincing the White House, but at least we have a plan. This is the point here — to negotiate.”
Despite concerns that the Israeli and Trump-backed proposals could amount to ethnic cleansing, Al-Rashed argued that the Cairo plan is essential in providing a framework for continued diplomatic engagement.
“This is really just a way to negotiate, to keep the momentum, so it’s not just Trump saying, ‘let’s have the two million people out’ and we have chaos in Egypt, Jordan, and the Middle East,” he said.
Al-Rashed admitted he was slightly cynical about the plan when he recently tweeted that Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit should present the proposals to Trump himself at the White House — even if it meant risking a public spat similar to that which erupted between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.
“Mr. Aboul Gheit, in my opinion, should take the plan and take it directly to the Americans and talk to the Americans,” Al-Rashed said.
“We will have two possibilities. One, either they will negotiate and probably will reach an agreement, or probably Trump will do exactly what he did with Zelensky and say no, he will not accept it, he will push the Arab League to change the plan and come up with something more practical. So this is what I meant, actually.”
One of the primary objections to the Arab League’s plan stems from the role Hamas might play in Gaza’s future governance, particularly as Israel, the US, and many Western countries consider it a terrorist group, not least for its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.
Asked if he believes that Hamas’s endorsement of the Cairo plan makes it harder to sell, Al-Rashed said the group has already shown willingness to step aside.
“Actually, Hamas made a statement almost close enough to say they accept the plan and they almost said that they are willing to accept whatever all Palestinian parties will agree to run Gaza, to manage Gaza,” he said. “So, I believe Hamas is getting closer to saying yes.”
However, he noted that while Hamas might agree to relinquish political control, the group has yet to commit to full disarmament.
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed provided a candid assessment of the Arab League’s plan for postwar Gaza, how it stacks up against rival proposals, and the changing political landscape in Lebanon and Syria. (AN photos)
Recent reports that the Trump administration has been in direct talks with Hamas came as a surprise to many observers. The US has issued an ultimatum, demanding the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a lasting ceasefire.
While Al-Rashed sees this as a positive development, he criticized Hamas, which has been reticent about such a deal, for appearing to prioritize its public image over the well-being of Gaza’s population.
“I think we are right now on the edge of the second phase of the war,” he said. “So we will see, probably, more Israeli tanks roll into Gaza. And probably the warning might work like magic — probably Hamas will release most of the hostages or the remaining hostages in the coming weeks.”
He added: “I think the issue right now for Hamas is some sort of face-saving plan, something that will make Hamas look victorious, but they will not be in Gaza. I’m not really sure how it’s going to happen, but this is what is missing right now. It’s the Hamas image rather than, really, the lives of the two million Gazans or the remaining hostages.”
One positive, however, is that Egypt and Qatar have influence over Hamas, which could ease the process. “We have a window, a real window of solution this time, much more than before, after the conference,” Al-Rashed said.
“And I think the Egyptians and the Qataris have the leverage now. They can really pressure Hamas. And Hamas, if they accept the idea, will release all the rest of the hostages, they will have a safe passage from Gaza and they will live somewhere else, maybe Algeria or somewhere else. And the Palestinians, mainly the PA, rules Gaza.
“If this scenario happens — and I bet my money on it more likely — yes, we will have an end to hostility. I think Israelis will have some sort of supervision of Gaza. We will have the Palestinians finally at peace and we will have a new chapter start in the Middle East.”
However, Al-Rashed also criticized Israel’s refusal to consider a role for the Palestinian Authority or even the UN Relief and Works Agency in the governance of postwar Gaza.
“Right now, nothing will work unless we have a practical solution,” he said. “Trying to push two million people out is not a practical solution. It’s not going to happen. If it happens, it’s just, everybody will lose, including the Israelis.”
Al-Rashed insisted that the Palestinian Authority remains the most legitimate governing body for Gaza, despite its unpopularity in the West Bank.
“I think in terms of legitimacy, it is not Hamas, it is the PA,” he said. “The PA, the Palestinian Authority, is the one who has the legitimacy and is being recognized by everybody, including Western countries.”
Although events are hard to predict, Al-Rashed said he supports the view of Arab News columnist Hassan Yassin, who suggested in a recent op-ed that Trump’s unconventional style could help pave the way for a lasting peace in the region.
“I think we need to give President Trump the space and the chance because, look, Trump is not (Joe) Biden, and I think Trump is unique among all American presidents,” he said.
“He does definitely move mountains. And I think there is a great chance for the Middle East ... not only to sort out Gaza, but we can go beyond that to the two-state solution.”
He added: “Trump can convince anyone, to be honest, his own way; he has his own style. I’m sure (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu will not dare to treat Trump as he did Biden or (Barack) Obama before.
“Trump can make history and he can win the Nobel Prize. Definitely.”
Al-Rashed dismissed any notion that Egypt and Jordan might fight Israel over the displacement of Palestinians after Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s foreign minister, said such a move would amount to an act of war.
“I don’t think Jordan nor Egypt will go that far. I think these were the two best countries and governments in the region who know how to handle the crisis,” Al-Rashed said.
“They are concerned about the issue of Gaza. It’s just things going really too far in terms of devastation. We have more than 50,000 people killed there. We have Israeli hostages remaining there as well. So we are stuck.
“The issue here is how to get the Israeli hostages out, how to get Hamas out of Gaza, how to have peace in Gaza, and finally how to activate the peace plan. I don’t think what we heard about Egyptian and Jordanian readiness; I don’t take that seriously, honestly.”
Turning to Lebanon, Al-Rashed expressed optimism about the country’s future following the election of former army chief Joseph Aoun as president and former International Court of Justice judge Nawaf Salam as prime minister in January.
Having been trapped in the vortex of a major financial crisis since 2019 and more than two years without a formally recognized government, the country is now on track to make a recovery, not least from the recent conflict on its territory between Israel and Hezbollah.
Al-Rashed said President Aoun’s recent visit to Riyadh was indicative of the reset underway in relations between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, but warned that Hezbollah — although significantly weakened by the conflict — remains a potentially destabilizing force.
“To a certain degree, the worst is behind us, but we still have problems,” Al-Rashed said. “Even with kitchen knives, Hezbollah could be a problem.”
He added: “Hezbollah, of course, are really facing a lot of problems right now. They have thousands of people who are running out of cash. They have houses destroyed. They have to be rebuilt. They have no routes to Iran anymore. They are disconnected from Iran.”
Discussing the downfall of the Bashar Assad regime in December and the rise of Ahmed Al-Sharaa’s transitional government in Syria, Al-Rashed said it was a significant shift for the region.
“I cannot really speak on behalf of Riyadh, but from my understanding, everyone — almost everyone — is extremely happy about the departure of the Assad regime,” he said. “It has been there for half a century. It was a contributor to chaos.”
Clashes between government security forces and suspected pro-Assad factions in the Alawite community escalated last week. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has come out in full support of Al-Sharaa.
“Everyone extended their support to President Al-Sharaa, including Saudis,” Al-Rashed said. “He visited Riyadh. He made his first visit. And Saudis, they made sure to welcome him. So no excuse whatsoever that the new regime should be welcomed; of course, it is welcomed as long as it behaves like a normal one in the region.
“Saudi can contribute a lot to the development of Syria, but we need first, of course, to see the sanctions lifted. And this has to do with Washington more than with Riyadh. But yes, this is what we see right now — history in the making, definitely.”
He also warned against Israeli involvement with the Druze community in Syria, suggesting that moves toward creating a breakaway region led by the ethno-religious minority could create further instability.
“Israelis, whatever the objective is, they’re trying, of course, to create a buffer zone by encouraging bordering areas like the Druze area to be protected by them.”
Turning to Saudi Arabia, Al-Rashed reflected on the sweeping reforms implemented under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 agenda, which have positioned the Kingdom as a leading force for change in the region.
“We are seeing Saudi Arabia not only being developed and Saudi Arabia being moderate also in terms of Islam, but we are seeing a leadership that is trying to spread the word in the region and all over the Islamic world,” he said.
“Saudis will change the Islamic world, not just Saudi Arabia, as is already happening right now.”
Referring to the crown prince’s leadership, Al-Rashed said: “People, individuals make big changes in history. You have the leaders who make a big difference for their own countries. And I think the crown prince has shown his ideas and of course resilience from the beginning.”
Elaborating on the point, he said: “If you have listened to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the past 10 years, when he speaks to local or regional media, he talks about the economy, he talks about the welfare of the people, he talks about the future. These are three subjects which make a big difference.
“Unfortunately, politicians in the region spend 90 percent of their conversation about politics. And I think this is why Saudis have something called 2030, a vision for the future. And that is what everybody’s busy with.”
