Israeli troops light Hanukkah candles in occupied Syria, West Bank and Gaza
Israeli soldiers have been pictured lighting Hanukkah candles in occupied territories in Syria, the West Bank and Gaza, sparking criticism on social media.
An image circulated of a Hanukkah menorah being lit in Syria’s Mount Hermon on Sunday.
Israel, which has already occupied Syria’s Golan Heights in contravention of international law since 1967, expanded its territory in southern Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government.
In December 2024, it seized all of a UN-patrolled buffer zone on Mount Hermon which had previously separated Israeli and Syrian forces in the Golan Heights.
Israeli troops were also pictured lighting Hanukkah candles inside Tulkarm refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. Some social media users linked it to plans by Israel to establish a “Greater Israel”.
