Saudi Arabia Condemns Israel’s Decision to Expand Settlement of Golan Heights

 An Israeli military vehicle rides by the ceasefire line between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syria, as seen from Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, December 15, 2024. (Reuters)
An Israeli military vehicle rides by the ceasefire line between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syria, as seen from Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, December 15, 2024. (Reuters)
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Saudi Arabia Condemns Israel’s Decision to Expand Settlement of Golan Heights

 An Israeli military vehicle rides by the ceasefire line between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syria, as seen from Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, December 15, 2024. (Reuters)
An Israeli military vehicle rides by the ceasefire line between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syria, as seen from Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, December 15, 2024. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia condemned on Sunday the Israeli government’s decision to expand settlements in the occupied Golan Heights “as it continues to sabotage attempts for Syria to restore its security and stability.”

A Foreign Ministry statement called on the international community to condemn these Israeli violations, stressing the need to respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Golan Heights are Syrian Arab lands, it added.

Israel agreed on Sunday to double its population on the Golan Heights.

"Strengthening the Golan is strengthening the State of Israel, and it is especially important at this time. We will continue to hold onto it, cause it to blossom, and settle in it," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.

Israel captured most of the strategic plateau from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War, annexing it in 1981.



Albudaiwi, Pedersen Discuss Means of Preserving Syria's Unity, Security

The Syrian flag is flown at half-mast in Damascus on May 20, 2024 (AFP)
The Syrian flag is flown at half-mast in Damascus on May 20, 2024 (AFP)
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Albudaiwi, Pedersen Discuss Means of Preserving Syria's Unity, Security

The Syrian flag is flown at half-mast in Damascus on May 20, 2024 (AFP)
The Syrian flag is flown at half-mast in Damascus on May 20, 2024 (AFP)

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Jasem Albudaiwi held a phone call with GCC Secretary General and UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen.

During the call, the two sides stressed that the GCC countries support all efforts aimed at preserving Syria's unity, sovereignty, and security, and stand with the Syrian people.
According to SPA, they also discussed regional and international efforts aimed at preserving Syria's unity, sovereignty, and security, as well as the latest developments in the region and ways to boost cooperation.
Albudaiwi stressed that the GCC countries support all endeavors that help achieve stability, prosperity, and security for the Syrian people, and the importance of solidarity, on the part of the international community, in supporting efforts to achieve a comprehensive solution to the Syrian crisis that respects Syria's unity and sovereignty, and contributes to building a better future for Syria and its people.