Why the Golan Heights’ location is strategic to the Middle East conflict

Saturday, July 27, 2024 A rocket attack was reported in Majdal Shams, one of the villages of the golan heights where at least 12 miners died .

This territory is currently occupied by Israel .

From the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, They attributed the episode to the group classified as terrorist Hezbollah .

However, from the Lebanese fighting group They deny being responsible. of the offensive.

The Golan Heights is an area of ​​the highest strategic importance for the conflict in Middle East .

It is a rocky plateau which located southwest of Syria which occupies an area of ​​approximately 1,000 kilometers and is located approximately 60 kilometers southwest of Damascus, the capital of this Asian country.

Israeli Forces They seized the territory in the Six-Day War in 1967, then unilaterally annexed it in December 1981. under the mandate of Prime Minister Menachem Begin.

However, this has not been recognized by the international community .

In fact, UN Security Council Resolution 497 decreed that Israel’s decision was “null, invalid and without legal effect” .

And although the United States has rejected the Israeli occupation for decades, In 2019, President Donald Trump officially recognized Israeli control over the Golan Heights. .

From Syria, they described the measure at the time as “a flagrant attack on sovereignty” .

According to the data retrieved by the BBC we suppose that There are more than 30 Jewish settlements in the Golan Heights, home to approximately 20,000 people. people.

Even if are considered illegal under international law Israeli authorities deny this.

The inhabitants of these colonies They live with 20,000 additional Syrians Most of them are Druze Arabs, who did not flee when Israel took control of the area.

One of the most remarkable points of the Golan Heights is that its maximum height is 2,800 meters, which facilitates visibility and surveillance of southern Syria and Damascus .

Israel maintains that this is a key point in defending its national security. because control of the area allows them to more easily detect attacks from Syria and Iranian groups operating there, according to statements collected by cnn .

However, Syrian authorities have stressed that They will not accept a peace agreement if they do not withdraw from the occupied territories .

But beyond the visibility and defense efforts of the factions involved, The Golan Heights also have other features that make it an area of ​​interest .

It is an important source of water in a region known to be arid. . In fact, the rainwater that falls into the basin reaches the Jordan.

The area provides about a third of Israel’s water supply according to data collected by the BBC.

Added to this is that Its lands are fertile and suitable for growing crops, as well as raising livestock. .

In 2023, the UN Human Rights Council warned that Syrian Druze in the Golan have suffered discriminatory policies .

Especially in areas related to land and water allocation specified the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

“Over the years, the expansion of Israeli settlements and their activities Reduced access to water for Syrian farmers due to discriminatory price and tariff policies “, the UN agency detailed.

Besides Israel and Syria, The Golan Heights also shares a border with Lebanon and Jordan. which makes it a crucial position from a strategic point of view.

In 2003, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad expressed his willingness to reach a peace agreement with Israel.

Previously, between 1999 and 2000, the factions involved They had discussions with the United States cases in which Ehud Barak, then Israeli Prime Minister, had offered to return most of the territory.

However, interactions they did not reach an agreement .

Years later, In 2008, they had new dialogues through the Turkish government, but these were interrupted. after the scandal involving Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who was implicated in corruption cases.

His successor was Benjamin Netanyahu. who is currently in office and a few months after taking office, said he had no partners to participate in the conversations.

And although the government of then US President Barack Obama (2009-2017) considered this dialogue a fundamental foreign policy objective, The Syrian civil war that began in 2011 made the scenario more complex. .

A day after the attack on Saturday, July 27, 2024 in Majdal Shams, Golan Heights, it was reported: President Joe Biden’s administration shared a statement .

In this one it was reported that The U.S. government has “maintained ongoing conversations with our Israeli and Lebanese counterparts.” “since the terrible attack yesterday in northern Israel, in which several children playing football died.”

Like the Israeli authorities, They attributed the offensive to the terrorist group Hezbollah. .

“It was their rocket, launched from an area they control. Should be universally condemned “Hezbollah began firing on Israel on October 8, affirming its solidarity with Hamas, another terrorist group supported by Iran,” they said in statements retrieved by the Spanish newspaper. The country .

Under this line, they emphasized their “strong and unwavering” support for “Israel’s security against all Iranian-backed threats” including Hezbollah.

“The United States is also working towards a diplomatic solution along the Blue Line (monitored by UN peacekeepers) that ends the attacks once and for all and allow citizens on both sides of the border to return home safely,” they said from the White House.