Gulf nations condemn Israel’s settlement expansion in occupied Golan Heights

RIYADH

Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) condemned a decision by Israel on Sunday to expand settlement building in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

The UAE warned that the move will lead to increased tensions and an escalation in the region.

In a statement issued by its Foreign Ministry, the decision was described as a step toward perpetuating the occupation and a violation of international law and regulations.

The ministry reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to Syria's unity, independence and territorial integrity, emphasizing its support for the preservation of these principles.

The UAE also expressed its firm opposition to any actions or activities aimed at altering the legal status of the occupied Golan Heights which threaten Syria's security, sovereignty and stability.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry in a statement reiterated the kingdom’s condemnation of Israel’s ongoing actions “to sabotage Syria's opportunities for security and stability."

It called on the international community to condemn the Israeli violations and emphasized the necessity “of respecting Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

“The Golan is an occupied Arab Syrian land," the ministry stressed.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry called the Israeli decision “a new episode in a series of Israeli aggressions on Syrian territories and a blatant violation of international law.”

It underlined “the urgent need for the international community to fulfill its legal and moral responsibilities to compel the Israeli occupation to cease its aggressions on Syrian territories and comply with international legitimacy resolutions, in addition to showing solidarity against its opportunistic schemes.”

The ministry stressed “Qatar’s firm position in support of the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Syria” and expressed support “for all regional and international efforts aimed at establishing security and stability in Syria and realizing the aspirations of its brotherly people.”

The Israeli government unanimously approved a plan early Sunday proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to enhance Israeli settlement building in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights with a budget exceeding 40 million shekels ($11.2 million).

The Golan Heights is Syrian territory occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war.

Currently, approximately 50,000 people live in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, half of whom are Israeli settlers, while the other half consists of Druze, Alawites and others, according to the Israeli daily Haaretz.

There are 33 Jewish settlements in the occupied Golan, incorporated into what is called the Golan Regional Council.

Bashar Assad, who ruled Syria with an iron fist for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8 after anti-regime groups seized control of the capital, Damascus. The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters captured key cities across the country in a swift offensive that lasted less than two weeks.

Taking advantage of Assad’s fall, Israel has intensified its airstrikes against military sites across Syria in blatant violation of the country’s sovereignty.

Israel also declared the collapse of a 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria and deployed its forces within the demilitarized zone in the Golan Heights, in a move widely condemned by the United Nations and several Arab nations.