Israel approves plan to expand settlements in occupied Golan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's regime has unanimously approved a plan to “promote demographic growth” in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights following the fall of the Syrian president. 

The plan comes in light of the developments in Syria and aims to double the population of Israelis living in the occupied Syrian areas, according to a statement by the prime minister’s office on Sunday.

The plan, which received 40 million shekels (over $11m) in funding, strengthens the Israeli settlements, including Katzrin in the occupied Golan Heights. 

"Strengthening the Golan is strengthening Israel, and it is especially important at this time. We will continue to hold onto it, make it flourish, and settle it," the Israeli statement read. 

The Israeli army occupied the Syrian Golan Heights during the 1967 Six-Day War. Israel refused to withdraw its forces or return the territory amid demands by the UN Security Council Resolution 242.

The Israeli army has occupied additional Syrian territory since militants from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led by former Al-Qaeda leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani captured Damascus last week.

Despite supporting Jolani in the past, Israel is now using his group's presence as a pretext to occupy additional Syrian land and bomb Syria's military infrastructure.

Israel previously supported Jolani's Nusra Front, the Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, with weapons, salaries, medical care, and air support from its warplanes during the group's previous war against the Syrian government from 2012 to 2018.

Recent reports indicate that the Israeli military has occupied several villages south of Damascus.

Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television network reported on Sunday that Israeli forces were now 15 kilometers away from the Beirut-Damascus international road after expanding their occupation of the Quneitra countryside, seizing a new village. 

Israeli forces also seized the buffer zone that separates the occupied Golan Heights from the rest of Syria in violation of a 1974 disengagement agreement between the Tel Aviv regime and Syria.

They also captured the strategic Mount Hermon in Golan, which provides high ground for the entire area.

Israeli settlements encroach West Bank lands at unprecedented rate

The Israeli occupation forces continue to raid and occupy more land of Palestinians across the West Bank.

Israel's exploitation of the current chaotic situation to deploy its occupation forces to Syria has drawn condemnations from regional countries.

The international community views the settlements in Palestine and elsewhere as illegal under international law and the Geneva Conventions.

Israeli far-right min. urges full control of Gaza, West Bank settlement expansion amid regional crisis

Israeli finance minister has urged the regime to take “control” of the Gaza Strip and adopt an “offensive” approach in the occupied West Bank to expand illegal settlements.

For the last 76 years, Israel has already been forcing thousands of Palestinians off their land, occupying and illegally using it to create settlements 

In July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian land “illegal” and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East al-Quds.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk