Israel plans Golan settlement expansion following Assad regime’s collapse

The Israeli government has endorsed a proposal aimed at fostering the growth of settlements within the occupied Golan Heights. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that this action was essential due to the emergence of a “new front” along Israel’s Syrian border, following the collapse of the Assad regime and its replacement by an Islamist-led rebel coalition. Netanyahu expressed a desire to increase the population of the Golan Heights twofold; Israel captured this territory during the 1967 Six-Day War, and it is widely regarded as illegally occupied under international legal frameworks. In the aftermath of Assad’s exit, Israeli forces advanced into a buffer zone situated between the Golan Heights and Syria, asserting that the shift in governance in Damascus had led to the “collapse” of ceasefire agreements. Notwithstanding this deployment, Netanyahu declared in a Sunday evening statement that Israel possesses “no interest in a conflict with Syria.” He added, “We will determine Israeli policy regarding Syria according to the reality on the ground.” Over 30 Israeli settlements exist in the Golan Heights, housing approximately 20,000 residents. These settlements are deemed unlawful under international law, a classification that Israel contests. The inhabitants of these settlements reside alongside roughly 20,000 Syrians, predominantly Druze Arabs, who remained in the area when it came under Israeli administration. Netanyahu affirmed that Israel would “continue to hold on to [the territory], make it flourish and settle it.” Conversely, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expressed that he did not “see any reason” for the nation to extend its presence into the Golan Heights. He questioned, “The prime minster [Netanyahu] said we are not interested in expanding the confrontation with Syria and we hope we will not need to fight against the new rebels that are presently taking over Syria. So why do we do precisely the opposite?” Olmert conveyed this sentiment to the BBC World Service’s Newshour programme, further remarking, “We have enough problems to deals with.” Netanyahu’s declaration followed by one day the criticism from Syria’s new de-facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, regarding Israel’s persistent attacks on military objectives within Syria, which have reportedly focused on military installations. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), based in the UK, has recorded over 450 Israeli aerial assaults in Syria since December 8, with 75 of these occurring since Saturday evening. Al-Sharaa, also identified as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, asserted that the strikes “crossed red lines” and carried the potential to heighten regional tensions, although he clarified that Syria was not pursuing a confrontation with any adjacent nation. Reuters reported that in an interview with Syria TV, which was considered pro-opposition during the civil war, al-Sharaa stated that the country’s “war-weary condition, after years of conflict and war, does not allow for new confrontations.” The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has refrained from commenting on al-Sharaa’s statements, but had previously indicated that the strikes were essential to prevent weaponry from falling “into the hands of extremists.” President Bashar al-Assad and his family sought refuge and asylum in Russia after al-Sharaa’s Islamist organization, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), spearheaded a rapid offensive on Damascus alongside other rebel groups. These factions are in the process of establishing a transitional government in Syria, with al-Sharaa serving as its theoretical leader. On Saturday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that Washington had established direct communication with HTS, an entity that the US and other Western administrations continue to classify as a terrorist organization. Geir Pedersen, the United Nations’ envoy for Syria, expressed hope on Sunday for a prompt lifting of sanctions against the nation to aid its economic revitalization. “We will hopefully see a quick end to sanctions so that we can see really rallying around building up Syria,” Pedersen remarked upon his arrival in Damascus for discussions with Syria’s interim government and other functionaries. In other developments, Turkey’s Defence Minister Yasar Guler stated that Ankara was prepared to offer military assistance to Syria’s nascent government. “It is necessary to see what the new administration will do. We think it is necessary to give them a chance,” Guler commented regarding HTS, as reported by the state news agency Anadolu and various other Turkish media sources.