Current Context : Israel plans to double its settler population, citing security concerns from Syrian instability on the occupied Golan Heights

About Golan Heights:

• Location:Southwestern Syria, overlooking the Jordan River valley and Sea of Galilee.
• Boundaries:Jordan River (west), Mount Hermon (north), Wadi Al-Ruqqād (east), Yarmūk River (south).

History:

• Captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War.
• Syria’s 1973 attempt to reclaim it failed; armistice signed in 1974.
• Israel annexed it in 1981 (unrecognized internationally).

Population: 30+ Israeli settlements (~20,000 residents), deemed illegal under international law.

Strategic Importance:

• Controls routes to Damascus (~60 km) and borders Jordan and Lebanon.
• Key water resource: Sea of Galilee.