Israel approves plans to up Golan Heights settler numbers as 'new front' opens in Syria

euronews (in English)

The 'demographic development' plan to increase settler numbers only applies to the area of the Golan Heights that Israel seized during the Six Day War in 1967 and later annexed in 1981 and not to territory taken since al-Assad's ouster.

Transcript

00:00The Israeli Knesset has approved plans to increase the number of settlers in the Golan

00:06Heights, territory that was seized from Syria in 1967.

00:11The announcement comes a week after the dramatic downfall of longtime President Bashar al-Assad.

00:17The demographic development plan to double settler numbers only applies to the area of

00:21the Golan Heights that Israel seized during the Six-Day War and later annexed in 1981.

00:27There are currently an estimated 31,000 Israelis living in settlements considered illegal under

00:33international law across the Golan Heights.

00:36Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the plan, which comes with 10 million

00:41euros in funding.

00:42But he also said Israel wasn't seeking a conflict with Syria.

00:46Since rebel groups marched into Damascus and brought an end to al-Assad's territory,

01:16Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes across Syria.

01:21Officials say those strikes are aimed at destroying weapons dumps to prevent them falling into

01:26the hands of terrorists.

01:28But they've been criticized by Syria's de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharar, who said they

01:33crossed red lines and risked escalating tensions across the Middle East.

Category

Transcript

Recommended