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Israel dumping n-waste in Golan Heights: Damascus

— PHOTO: AFP

A U.N. soldier at an observation tower in the Golan Heights in this file photo.

DUBAI: Syria has accused Israel of dumping nuclear waste on the disputed Golan Heights and mistreating members of the Druze community residing there.

Syria submitted a list of its allegations to a fact finding committee of the United Nations comprising Ambassadors from Senegal, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. Israel had seized Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 war. Turkey is currently mediating between Syria and Israel to resolve this dispute.

This is not the first time that Syria has tried to draw international attention to Israel’s alleged dumping of nuclear waste in the Golan.

It had earlier informed international humanitarian organisations that Israeli soldiers had dug a big tunnel for the purpose. Analysts say Syria hopes to draw international attention to the Israeli nuclear programme, at a time when the Iranian and a possible Syrian atomic programme have fallen under global scrutiny.

Syria has also stressed that Israel has harassed the Druze residents of the Golan. It claimed that Israeli authorities have frequently confiscated identity cards of individuals of this community who had visited Syria for studies. Several residents were also facing long prison sentences in Israeli jails. The nearly 20,000 strong Druze community resides with an equal number of Israelis in the Golan. Syria has pointed out that the numerical strength of the Israelis in the area has been growing. Besides, Israeli mines sown in the area have been causing injuries to residents.

Syria has sent its list of accusations soon after its third round of indirect talks with Israel through Turkish mediators had concluded.

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