While Hezbollah denies responsibility for the attack on the village of Majdal Shams in the occupied Golan Heights, Israel continues to accuse it of the deaths of 12 individuals and injuries to dozens, threatening retaliation. This raises concerns about the possibility of a "full-scale war" between the two sides, according to statements reported by Axios from U.S. officials. The officials express fears that this attack may increase the likelihood of war between Israel and Hezbollah, exacerbate the regional crisis, and draw the United States deeper into the conflict, noting that "the United States has tried to avoid this moment for the past 10 months."
Skirmishes between Israel and Hezbollah have persisted since the Hamas attack on October 7, with tensions ongoing along the 120-kilometer (75-mile) shared border. Following the incident in Majdal Shams, United Nations officials stated that the gunfire exchange on the Lebanese-Israeli border could lead the region to "catastrophe," calling for "maximum restraint" in the area.
Majdal Shams is located in the Golan Heights, a strategically significant rocky plateau in southwestern Syria, which was occupied by Israel during the 1967 war and has remained under its control ever since, despite the international community recognizing it, along with the rest of the Golan Heights, as part of Syria. Initially, Majdal Shams was governed under Israeli military administration, and in 1981, the Knesset approved the Golan Heights Law, effectively annexing the area into the Israeli local council system. This move was only recognized officially by the United States during Donald Trump's presidency in March 2019.
Among the four remaining Syrian Druze communities in the areas occupied by Israel, Majdal Shams is the largest, alongside Ein Qinya, Mas'ada, and Buq'ata. According to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, the population of Majdal Shams reached 11,458 in 2022, most of whom are from the Druze community. There were a few Christians in the town, many of whom left in the 1940s and 1950s.
The residents of Majdal Shams are considered Syrian citizens by the Syrian authorities, while Israel granted them permanent residency in 1981, and they have the right to apply for full Israeli citizenship. However, only 20 percent of the population had applied for Israeli citizenship by 2018. Those applying for Israeli citizenship are entitled to vote, run for the Knesset, and obtain an Israeli passport for travel abroad. Those who do not apply for Israeli citizenship are issued a travel document by Israeli authorities, which does not recognize their Syrian nationality, classifying them in Israeli records as "Golan Heights residents."
