what is the golan heights territory

The Golan Heights is a hilly area located in southwest Syria, overlooking the freshwater of the Sea of Galilee, and borders Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan. It covers about 1,800 km2 and is more than three times the size of the besieged Gaza Strip. The area was part of extreme southwestern Syria until 1967 when it came under Israeli military occupation, and in December 1981, Israel unilaterally annexed the part of the Golan it held. Israeli leaders have insisted for years that the territory will “forever” remain part of Israel. For its part, the Syrian government says the Golan belongs to Syria. The Golan Heights is of political and strategic significance, which belies its size. Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in the closing stages of the 1967 Six-Day War. Most of the Syrian Arab inhabitants fled the area during the conflict. The heights give Israel an excellent vantage point for monitoring Syrian movements. The topography provides a natural buffer against any military thrust from Syria. The area is also a key source of water for an arid region. Rainwater from the Golan's catchment feeds into the Jordan River. The land is fertile, and the volcanic soil is used to cultivate vineyards and orchards and raise cattle. The Golan is also home to Israel's only ski resort. Syria wants to secure the return of the Golan Heights as part of any peace deal. In late 2003, Syria tried to retake the Golan Heights during the 1973 Middle East war. Despite inflicting heavy losses on Israeli forces, the surprise assault was thwarted. Both countries signed an armistice in 1974, and a UN observer force has been in place on the Israel unilaterally annexed the Golan Heights in 1981. The move was not recognized internationally, although the US Trump Administration did so unilaterally in March 2019.