Israel to expand settlements in Golan Heights; Syria slams the decision as dangerous and inciting

Mevo Hama: – Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced that Israel would be building 7,300 houses for immigrants under its control in the Golan Heights region. This will result in more than doubling the Israeli population in the area. It is claimed that this will strengthen the Israeli claim over the strategically vital Golan Heights region. Infuriated with the announcement, Syria has warned that this decision will be dangerous and fester the situation.

On Sunday, the Israeli Prime Minister held a special weekly meeting of the cabinet of ministers on the Golan Heights. Following this meeting, the Israeli Prime Minister announced an investment of 317 million for developments projects in the Golan Heights. The investment will be in the tourism, energy, technology and industry sectors and building houses for the immigrants.

Two new cities will be built on the Golan Heights in five years. 7,300 new settlements will be built under this plan. 3,300 settlements will be built in the Katzrin region. While sharing this information Prime Minister Bennett clarified that the objective is doubling the Israeli population in the Golan Heights region. Prime Minister Bennett said that Asif and Matar would be the two communities, which will be settled in this region. The Israeli Prime Minister said that this decision was a significant development.

PM Bennett said, ”Golan Heights is an Israeli territory and Israeli laws have been applicable in this region since 1981.” Moreover, he thus justified his decision to construct the Golan Heights. At the same time, the Israeli Prime Minister also reminded that in 2019, the then US President Donald Trump had declared that the Israeli claim on the Golan Heights region was legitimate.

In 1967, Israel had won half the Syrian Golan Height region during the war, which lasted for six days, with the Arab countries. The Israeli laws were imposed in the Golan Heights region, won by Israel, after nearly one and a half decades. Currently, the Golan Heights region population is almost 50,000, out of which about 25,000 are Israelis.

It is being claimed that the Israeli prime minister’s announcement will further strengthen the Israeli claim on the Golan Heights region. Some western analysts believe that Israel is in the process of expanding its boundaries with these development works and building houses for immigrants.

Meanwhile, Israel has accused that Iranian soldiers, Iran-affiliated terrorist organisations, and other terrorists have built bases in the Golan Heights region under Syrian control. Israel has already announced that this deployment of soldiers from Iran and other Iran affiliated terrorist organisations poses a threat to Israeli security. Israel has also warned that lethal attacks will be launched against those posing Israeli security threats without waiting for anyone’s approval.