By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Israel approves major settlement expansion in occupied Golan, prompting Human Rights Watch to warn of war crimes and forced displacement.

Key Developments

• Israel approves $334 million plan to expand settlements in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.
• Human Rights Watch says the transfer of civilians into occupied territory constitutes a war crime.
• Plan aims to bring 3,000 Israeli settler families to Katzrin by 2030.

‘War Crime’

The Israeli government has approved a $334 million plan to expand settlements in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, a move that Human Rights Watch says constitutes a clear violation of international law.

The decision, adopted by Israel’s cabinet on April 17, aims to significantly increase the number of Israeli civilians living in the territory, which remains occupied under international law.

“Israel’s cabinet has put public money behind a war crime in Syria at the same time as it is turbocharging settlement expansion in the West Bank,” said Hiba Zayadin, senior Syria researcher at Human Rights Watch.

“A permanent population transfer into Syrian territory violates international norms with grave implications for long-displaced Syrians,” she added.

Major Expansion in Katzrin

The approved plan focuses on developing the settlement of Katzrin into what Israeli officials describe as the Golan’s “first city.”

It includes funding for infrastructure, housing, public services, and academic institutions, including a new university branch and specialized medical facilities.

The project reportedly aims to bring 3,000 new Israeli settler families to the area by 2030.

The initiative will be overseen by the Directorate of Tnufa for the North, a government body established in 2024 to coordinate development in northern areas affected by recent hostilities.

بيان صحفي من هيومن رايتس ووتش :

– إسرائيل تموّل جرائم حرب في الجولان المحتل

– الحكومة الإسرائيلية وافقت على خطة بقيمة 334 مليون دولار أمريكي لنقل آلاف الإسرائيليين إلى هضبة الجولان المحتلة

– القرار يُشكّل إعلانا واضحا عن نية ارتكاب جرائم حرب

– النقل الدائم للسكان إلى الأراضي… pic.twitter.com/VeoEsooTpL

— مُضَر | Modar (@ivarmm) April 29, 2026

De Facto Annexation

Human Rights Watch emphasized that the transfer of an occupying power’s civilian population into occupied territory is prohibited under Article 49(6) of the Fourth Geneva Convention and constitutes a war crime.

Israel occupied the Golan Heights in 1967 and imposed its laws on the territory in 1981, a move widely regarded as de facto annexation.

The United Nations Security Council declared this annexation “null and void” under Resolution 497, reaffirming that the territory remains occupied.

The United States is the only country that recognizes Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights.

Displacement and Destruction of Syrian Communities

Since 1967, Israeli authorities have prevented displaced Syrians from returning to their homes and have destroyed hundreds of villages and farms, according to HRW.

The displaced population and their descendants are estimated in the hundreds of thousands.

Recent military operations have further exacerbated the situation. HRW documented cases in which Israeli forces entered Syrian villages, held families at gunpoint, and forced them to leave without taking their belongings or arranging shelter.

In some cases, homes were later demolished and agricultural land destroyed.

Israeli forces have also established military positions, fenced off farmland and water sources, and detained civilians who were transferred into Israel without charge.

Regional Expansion and Parallel Policies

The settlement expansion in the Golan comes alongside broader Israeli military activity in southern Syria, including operations in Quneitra, Daraa, and Sweida.

At the same time, Israel has accelerated settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank.

Earlier this month, the cabinet approved 34 new settlements, the largest single expansion to date. Since 2022, the government has approved 102 new settlements, increasing their total number by 80 percent.

❝Reported plans to expand Israeli settlements in the occupied Syrian Golan must stop❞

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stressed that Israel must not expand its construction of settlements in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights https://t.co/VmYw0BGfn1 pic.twitter.com/v2o5J1aFhH

— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) April 28, 2026

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, settler violence now accounts for 75 percent of displacement recorded in 2026.

Human Rights Watch also pointed to similar patterns in Lebanon, where Israeli occupation forces have displaced hundreds of thousands and continue to occupy border villages.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on March 16 that residents of southern Lebanon would be prevented from returning for an indefinite period.

Calls for International Action

Human Rights Watch called on the European Union and other states to take concrete measures in response.

These include suspending trade agreements with Israel, banning business activity linked to settlements, and halting arms transfers.

“The EU has powerful tools at its disposal but refuses to use them,” Zayadin said, adding: 

“The US denies the reality that the Golan is occupied Syrian territory. Israel’s April 17 plan is the predictable result when an occupying power is confident that its impunity will hold.”

The organization also urged countries to pursue criminal investigations under universal jurisdiction against officials involved in settlement expansion.

HRW highlighted potential pathways for accountability through international mechanisms.

Although Syria is not a member of the International Criminal Court, transitional authorities could join the Rome Statute or accept the court’s jurisdiction retroactively.

Such steps could enable investigations into crimes committed on Syrian territory, including those linked to settlement expansion and displacement.

(PC, HRW)