White House: US considers Golan part of Israel

John Kirby, the White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, has said that the United States continues to recognise the Golan Heights as part of Israel, with no changes in policy under the current administration.

Kirby voiced these remarks during an online briefing for journalists, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

"Our policy on the Golan Heights has not changed under the current administration. We continue to recognize the circumstances under which we declared Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights in the 2019 proclamation," Kirby stated, addressing the recent escalation of tensions on the Israel-Lebanon border.

When asked to clarify if Washington considers the Golan Heights part of northern Israel, Kirby responded with a succinct "yes," reaffirming the US stance on the region.

The confirmation comes amid heightened security concerns following a recent Hezbollah attack that killed 12 children in the Druze village of Majdal Shams, located in the Golan Heights. The area, captured by Israel from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed in 1981, remains a contentious issue in international diplomacy, with the United Nations continuing to call for its return to Syria. However, the US has maintained its recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the territory, initially declared by former President Donald Trump in 2019.