News - Yemen: The Government of Change and Development in Sana'a strongly condemned Israel's decision to expand settlements in the occupied Golan Heights.

In a statement, the government expressed solidarity with the Syrian people in their struggle to confront Israeli aggression and liberate their occupied lands. It emphasized that Israel's actions aim to establish a new norm of occupation and dominance over Arab nations.

The statement also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's audacity in declaring the occupied Golan as Israeli territory, highlighting the US and Western-backed expansionist policies underlying such moves.

The Government of Change and Development called on the Syrian people, as well as Arab and Islamic nations, to unite and take a firm stance against Israeli aggression. It warned that silence or inaction in the face of the US-Israeli scheme to "reshape the Middle East" would be a grave mistake.

In a separate statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned Israel's approval of plans to expand settlements in the Golan Heights, describing it as a blatant violation of international law, particularly UN Security Council Resolution 497 of 1981, which does not recognize Israel's annexation of the Golan.

The ministry reaffirmed that the Golan remains Syrian Arab land occupied since 1967 and denounced Israel's repeated aggressions against Syria, which aim to exploit current developments to weaken the Syrian nation.

It urged the international community, especially the UN Security Council, to condemn Israel's actions, demand an end to its aggression, and compel Israel to withdraw from the occupied Golan.

The ministry reiterated Yemen's unwavering support for Syria and the Syrian people in the face of ongoing Israeli aggression.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has approved a plan to expand settlements and double the Israeli population in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights. The plan, allocated a budget of 40 million shekels (over $11 million), aims to "promote demographic growth" in the region, particularly after the fall of the Syrian president and the ongoing instability in Syria.

The Golan Heights, occupied by Israel since the 1967 Six-Day War, remains a contested territory under international law, with UN Security Council Resolution 242 demanding Israel's withdrawal. Despite this, Israel has steadily fortified its presence, declaring the Golan Heights as Israeli territory and establishing settlements such as Katzrin.

Recent developments have seen Israel exploiting Syria's internal conflict to expand its occupation. Reports indicate that Israeli forces have seized additional Syrian villages near Damascus, including the buffer zone and strategic locations such as Mount Hermon, violating a 1974 disengagement agreement.

Israel has used the presence of militant groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), previously supported by Tel Aviv, as a pretext for further occupation. The international community, however, continues to view Israeli settlements in the Golan, West Bank, and East Al-Quds as illegal under international law and the Geneva Conventions.

These actions have drawn widespread condemnation from regional countries and international bodies, including the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which recently reaffirmed the illegality of Israel's occupation and settlement expansion across Palestinian and Syrian lands.