UAE condemns Israel's decision to expand Occupied Golan Heights settlements

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) released an official statement on Sunday “strongly condemning” the Israeli government’s decision to expand settlements in the occupied Golan Heights, stating that the Israeli decision threatens further escalation and tensions in the region, according to the official news agency, WAM.

In its statement, the UAE emphasized its commitment to the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Syria, adding that this decision is a deliberate effort to expand the occupation, which violates international law.

The Foreign Ministry also expressed the country's categorical rejection of all measures and practices aimed at altering the legal status of the Occupied Golan Heights, stating that they threaten the security, stability, and sovereignty of the Arab Republic of Syria.

According to a Reuters report, the Israeli government agreed earlier on Sunday to double its population in the occupied Golan Heights, days after reporting the expansion of its troops into Syrian territories following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime on February 8, 2024.

Israel first occupied the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War, annexing it in 1981. In March 2019, then-US President Donald Trump recognized Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, a move not supported by EU countries. They maintained their position in alignment with UN Security Council Resolution 497 (1981), which declared Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights “null and void.”