The Israeli government has approved a resolution to provide 40 million shekels ($11 million) in funding to increase the population and expand settlements in the occupied Golan Heights.
The plan focuses exclusively on the portion of the Golan Heights seized by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War and effectively annexed in 1981—an action not recognized by the international community, which continues to consider the Golan Heights as Syrian territory under Israeli occupation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the initiative as vital for both the security and development of Israel.
“Strengthening the Golan Heights is strengthening the State of Israel, and it is especially important at this time. We will continue to hold on to it, make it flourish, and settle in it,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
The funding is intended to double the Israeli settler population in the area, currently estimated at 31,000. The plan includes investments in education, renewable energy projects, and infrastructure, including the establishment of a student village. It also supports organizational developments to assist the Golan Regional Council in absorbing new residents.
The announcement follows the recent ousting of Bashar al-Assad, who ruled Syria for 24 years. Rebel forces, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), seized Damascus a week ago, creating a power vacuum in Syria’s leadership.
While Netanyahu emphasized that Israel does not seek confrontation with the new Syrian leadership, he stated that the situation constitutes “a new front” near Israel’s borders.
“We have no interest in confronting Syria. We will determine Israel’s policy towards Syria according to the emerging reality on the ground,” Netanyahu added. However, Israel has conducted multiple airstrikes across Syria in recent days, claiming the operations aim to prevent weapons stockpiles from falling into the hands of terrorist groups.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, the de-facto Syrian leader and HTS head, criticized Israel’s strikes, calling them “crossing red lines” and warning they could destabilize Syria further.
The Golan Heights, a strategic basaltic plateau located in southwestern Syria, has been a contentious area since its capture by Israel in 1967. Following the 1981 annexation, the Israeli Knesset imposed Israeli law over the territory, a move condemned internationally as illegal under United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Israel’s proposal to expand settlements in the Golan Heights has drawn swift condemnation from regional powers. The Saudi Foreign Ministry criticized the move, accusing Israel of attempting “to sabotage Syria’s opportunities for security and stability.” Similarly, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry condemned the plan as “a blatant violation of international law.”
