The German government has criticized the plans of the Israeli government to double its own population on the occupied Golan Heights. It is legally clear that this territory, controlled by Israel, belongs to Syria, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in Berlin on Monday.
Israel is, therefore, a occupying power on the Golan Heights. The cabinet decision of the Israeli government is clear: “The settlement of civilian population is in conflict with the right of occupation.” This is derived from the Geneva Conventions. “In this respect, we urge Israel to refrain from this plan” the spokesperson said.
Currently, approximately 30,000 Israeli citizens and 23,000 Druze, who have resident status in Israel, live on the Golan Heights. After the fall of Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad, Israel had last deployed troops in areas beyond the previous ceasefire line. Soldiers had advanced into the buffer zone, which is under UN supervision.