A comprehensive overview of the disputed territory between Israel and Syria
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib has called for an investigation into the July 27 attack on the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, which resulted in casualties.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib has called for an investigation into the July 27 attack on the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, which killed 12 people. The Golan Heights, partially occupied by Israel from Syria, is of geopolitical importance.
After the Arab-Israeli War of 1967, during which Israel captured approximately two-thirds of the plateau, Israel annexed the area in 1981. As of 2019, the move has not been recognized by the international community, with the exception of the United States.
Rich in water resources, the Golan Heights overlook northern Israel's Galilee region and the Sea of ​​Galilee, as well as dominating the Syrian-controlled side of the road to Damascus. The Golan, the biblical Hebrew name for the region, or Javalan in Arabic, has been coveted by empires and foreign rulers for thousands of years, AFP reports.
The region has been occupied by various powers throughout history, including Herod, the Franks, and the Ottomans. It was eventually incorporated into Syria, which gained independence from France in 1946. On June 9, 1967, Israel regained control of most of the territory after a fierce battle with Syrian forces, who launched attacks from lower positions.
During the fierce war of 1973, Israel captured an additional pocket of approximately 510 square kilometers (nearly 200 square miles). However, under a cease-fire agreement the following year, the region was returned to Syria, along with a small portion of the territory captured in 1967. A 1974 agreement established a demilitarized buffer zone, and since then, a UN observer force has been monitoring the ceasefire. line on the Golan Heights.
On December 14, 1981, Israel occupied approximately 1,200 square kilometers of the Golan Heights, which also borders Lebanon and Jordan. “Thousands of Syrian as well as Palestinian residents fled or were deported when Israel occupied it, although some remained in Israeli-controlled areas,” AFP reported.
Israel and Syria have been in a formal state of war for decades. For years, the ceasefire line has maintained a tense silence between them. Efforts are underway by the international community to bring peace between Israel and Syria. However, long-standing disputes and geopolitical tensions have stalled meaningful progress. The war has had a profound impact on the people of the region, causing displacement, limited access to basic necessities and economic hardship.
