On Sunday, the Israeli government unanimously approved a proposal by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to boost settlement construction in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, allocating a budget of over 40 million shekels ($11.13 million).
In a statement, Netanyahu’s office confirmed the approval of the plan, aimed at “promoting demographic growth in Golan settlements and Katzrin,” with a total cost exceeding 40 million shekels.
The Golan Heights, originally Syrian territory, has been under Israeli occupation since the 1967 Middle East war.
Katzrin, also known as Qasrin, is a Syrian village in the Golan Heights that was part of Quneitra province before its occupation by Israel.
According to Netanyahu’s office, the plan was approved “in light of the war and the evolving front with Syria, with the goal of doubling the population of the Golan.”
The statement highlighted that the plan strengthens Golan settlements through initiatives such as education, renewable energy projects, the creation of a student village, and an organizational development strategy to help the Golan Regional Council accommodate new residents.
Approximately 50,000 people currently reside in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, with half being Israeli settlers and the other half comprising Druze, Alawites, and other groups, according to the Israeli daily Haaretz.
The occupied Golan is home to 33 Jewish settlements, which are governed under the Golan Regional Council.
On December 8, Bashar al-Assad, who ruled Syria with an iron grip for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia following the capture of Damascus by anti-regime forces. The swift offensive, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), resulted in the rapid takeover of key cities across Syria in less than two weeks.
In the aftermath of Assad’s fall, Israel has intensified airstrikes on military sites across Syria, openly violating the country’s sovereignty.
Additionally, Israel announced the collapse of the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria and deployed forces in the demilitarized zone within the Golan Heights. This move has been widely condemned by the United Nations and several Arab countries.
