Middle East tensions rise with rocket attack on Golan Heights

The Golan Heights, a strategically vital plateau in southwestern Syria, has been a flashpoint in Middle Eastern geopolitics since Israel's capture of the region during the Six-Day War in 1967.

A rocket attack on a football pitch in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which resulted in the deaths of at least 12 young people, has heightened concerns of a broader regional conflict in the Middle East, Caliber.Az reports citing the foreign media.

Israel has retaliated against Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based militant group it blames for the attack, though Hezbollah has denied involvement. This incident marks the deadliest attack on Israeli or Israeli-annexed territory since the Hamas assault on October 7, which ignited the ongoing war in Gaza. The Golan Heights, a strategically significant 460-square-mile (1,200-square-kilometer) plateau in southwestern Syria, also borders Lebanon and Jordan, raising questions about its role and importance in the current conflict.

Why is the area contentious?

The Golan Heights, once part of Syria, was captured by Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967. Israel initially took control of most of the region and fully occupied and annexed it in 1981, extending Israeli law to the area. This annexation was not recognized internationally, and Syria has consistently demanded the return of the territory. Attempts by Syria to reclaim the Golan Heights during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War were unsuccessful, and an armistice was signed between the two nations in 1974.

In 2000, high-level negotiations between Israel and Syria aimed at resolving the Golan issue and reaching a peace agreement ended in failure. Subsequent talks also failed to reach a resolution. In 2019, then-U.S. President Donald Trump officially recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a move that was condemned by Syria.

The Golan Heights is strategically important to Israel for several reasons. The ongoing civil war in Syria emphasizes the need for the plateau as a buffer zone between Israeli towns and the unstable neighboring country. Israel is also concerned about Iran, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, potentially establishing a permanent presence on the Syrian side of the border to launch attacks against Israel. Additionally, the region's water resources and fertile land add to its strategic value. Syria continues to view the area as occupied territory and insists on its return.