On December 27, local time, the Syrian Foreign Ministry issued a statement strongly condemning Israel’s plan to double the number of settlers in the Golan Heights, saying that it may make the Israeli occupation permanent, which is "dangerous and unprecedented".
According to Al Jazeera’s report on the 27th, the Syrian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the same day saying that Israel’s act of increasing settlements in the Golan Heights is "equivalent to a war crime". The statement also stated that the Syrian government and people firmly rejected Israel’s decision to annex the Golan Heights.
According to the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on the 27th, Syria said it would seek to recapture the Golan Heights by all legal means.
On December 26th, 2021, local time, Mevo Hama in Golan Heights, Israeli Prime Minister Bennett attended the cabinet meeting. Israeli Prime Minister Bennett announced on the 26th that he would invest 1 billion new shekels (about 317 million US dollars) to strengthen the construction of Jewish communities in the Golan Heights and double the local population. People’s visual map
The "Russia Today" TV station reported on the 28th that the Israeli government approved a settlement plan of 317 million US dollars last weekend, aiming at doubling the number of Israeli settlers in the Golan Heights in the next five years by investing in housing and infrastructure, and encouraging about 23,000 people to settle in the Golan Heights.
According to reports, Syrian Foreign Minister Migdad insisted in an interview with local media on the 27th that Syria’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights "will not be affected by negotiations or concessions". Citing UN Security Council Resolution 496, he also pointed out that according to international law, all Israeli measures to change the natural and demographic characteristics of the Golan Heights or to exercise jurisdiction over it are null and void.
Syria’s ruling Arab Baath Socialist Party also condemned the plan on the 27th, calling Israel’s move a "massive aggression" against Syria and a "flagrant violation" of international law.
The Golan Heights is located at the junction of Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan. Israel occupied this strategic place in the third Middle East War in 1967, exercised control and jurisdiction over it, and refused to return it to Syria. The international community does not recognize the region as Israeli territory.
Resolution 497 adopted by the United Nations Security Council in 1981 clearly pointed out that Israel’s decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administrative institutions on the Golan Heights is "completely invalid and has no international legal effect". But so far, Israel still occupies the Syrian Golan Heights, the West Bank and East Jerusalem in fact, and has been building Jewish settlements in the occupied areas.
At present, there are about 50,000 people living in the Golan Heights, about half of whom are Israeli Jews and half are Druze who oppose Israeli control. In March 2019, the United States announced its recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. After the Biden administration took office, it said that it would not change its policies related to the Golan Heights, and said that the United States would continue to recognize Israel’s claims.