Al-Marsad condemns plans by the Israeli government to build 1600 homes in the illegal Israeli settlement of Katzrin in the Occupied Syrian Golan.

According to reports yesterday, the Israeli Finance Ministry has approved plans for the construction of 1600 homes in the illegal Israeli settlement of Katzrin in the Occupied Syrian Golan. Katzrin is the largest Israeli settlement (population 8000) in the Occupied Syrian Golan. It was built over the destroyed Syrian villages of Qasrin, Shqef and Sanawber whose inhabitants were either forced to leave their homes by the Israeli army or were displaced by fighting, at the time of the Israeli occupation in 1967. Once the hostilities came to an end, the native inhabitants of these villages were forbidden from returning.

Israel began to establish settlements in the Occupied Syrian Golan within a month of the occupation. Today, there are approx. 23,000 Israeli settlers in the Occupied Syrian Golan, living in over 34 illegal settlements. The construction and expansion of Israeli settlements in the Occupied Syrian Golan is illegal under international law and has been repeatedly condemned by the international community. Nonetheless the Israeli government continues its policy of settlement expansion - indeed, last year, the Israeli government announced plans for 100,000 new settlers to relocate to the Occupied Syrian Golan over the next five years.

Meanwhile, due to discriminatory land, housing and development policies, Syrian residential areas are severely overcrowded. As a result of severe restrictions imposed by Israeli planning committees, it is close to impossible for the native Syrian population in the remaining Syrian villages in the Occupied Syrian Golan to obtain building permits. Therefore, the Syrian population is forced to build homes without building permits, as this is the only way to meet their housing needs. Consequently, Syrian home owners run the risk that their home could be destroyed: as was the case with Mr Bassam Ibrahim whose home in Syrian village, Majdal Shams, was demolished by the Israeli authorities last month. Currently, the Syrian owners of between 80 - 90 houses have been notified that their homes are also due to be demolished.

Therefore, Al-Marsad:

• Strongly condemns plans by the Israeli government to build 1600 homes in the illegal Israeli settlement of Katzrin in the Occupied Syrian Golan.
• Calls on the Israeli government to abide by its obligations under international law and stop all illegal settlement expansion, and end discriminatory housing and development policies targeting the native Syrian population in the Occupied Syrian Golan.
• Calls on the international community to strongly condemn plans for the illegal construction of 1600 homes and, act to ensure that Israel abides by its obligations under international law.

ENDS
Al-Marsad is an independent, not-for-profit, legal human rights organisation – it is the only human rights organisation operating in the Occupied Syrian Golan.

For additional information, please contact marsad@golan-marsad.org or researcher.almarsad@gmail.com