Majdal Shams

Majdal Shams (Arabic: مجدل شمس; Hebrew: מג'דל שמס) is a predominantly Druze town in the Golan Heights region, Quneitra Governorate, Syria. Under Israeli occupation since 1967, it is located in the southern foothills of Mount Hermon. In 2024 it had a population of 11,264. Majdal Shams played a significant role in the Great Syrian Revolt of 1925–1927 that was led by Druze leader Sultan al-Atrash, who is commemorated by several monuments in the city.

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Location

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Majdal Shams attack

The Majdal Shams attack, took place on 27 July 2024, when a rocket hit a football pitch in Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The resulting blast killed 12 Syrian children belonging to the Druze community and injured at least 42 others, with most of the victims being between the ages of 10 and 16. Israel blamed Hezbollah for carrying out the attack with an Iranian-made Falaq-1 rocket equipped with a 53-kilogram warhead. Hezbollah said it had targeted a nearby military base and that the football pitch was hit by an errant Israeli Iron Dome air defence projectile. Western sources dismissed this claim, citing expert opinion that the rocket had been fired by Hezbollah or another militant group in Lebanon. Local authorities denied that the children were Israeli, and local residents protested the attendance of Israeli ministers at the funeral for reasons ranging from opposition to politicization of the tragedy to anger at the Israeli government's perceived neglect of their safety. The attack occurred amid the Israel–Hezbollah conflict that has been ongoing since 8 October 2023, a regular exchange of attacks that began following the outbreak of the Gaza war. Following the attack, Israel assassinated Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.

Movie Theater Nightlife

Shouting Hill

Shouting Hill is a hill in the Golan Heights. The hill is located near the Druze village of Majdal Shams, in the area of the Golan that is occupied by Israel. During the Six-Day War, Israel captured most of the Golan Heights. Shouting Hill is located close to the Purple Line, a ceasefire line that separates Syrian and Israeli controlled territory. Following the war, the Druze community in the Golan Heights was separated by the ceasefire line. Very few visits are allowed between families on either side of the ceasefire line, as Israel and Syria are still in an official state of war and no telecommunications or mail are allowed across the border. This is what led some families to come to this hill to see and communicate with their relatives on the other side. Because of the distance, the families had to shout their messages through megaphones. With the advent of mobile phones, this practice has declined, except on special occasions like weddings when families particularly feel the need to physically see each other. The hill is located at the foot of Mount Hermon and is separated from the village of Majdal Shams by a valley. On the Israeli-occupied side, there is a security zone that stretches over the valley next to the village. On the Syrian controlled side, there is a UN observation post which at 1100 meters altitude. The shouting point is 3 km away from the nearest homes of Majdal Shams and 2.5 km away from the border line.

Mountain

1.9 km

Shayta

S-hayta, also spelled Suhayta, S'heita or Su'heita, was a Syrian Druze village located in the Golan Heights. It was one of only six Syrian villages in the Golan Heights still populated following the Six-Day War. After Israel occupied the area in 1967, S-hayta's population census was 176 people, down from 200 in 1960. In 1967, S-hayta was partially destroyed and a military post built in its place. Israel completely destroyed the village in 1971-72 and its population was forcibly transferred to the neighboring village of Mas'ade. Today, its former inhabitants are still campaigning for the return to their village. S-hayta was located near the ceasefire line between Syrian and Israeli forces.

Settlement

Neve Ativ

Neve Ativ, is an Israeli settlement organized as a small Alpine-styled moshav in the Golan Heights. Located on the slopes of Mount Hermon, 2 kilometers west of Majdal Shams. it falls under the jurisdiction of Golan Regional Council. In 2024 it had a population of 226. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights illegal under international law, though the Israeli and United States governments dispute this.

Settlement

Nimrod

Nimrod is a small Israeli settlement organized as a moshav, in the Golan Heights on the southern slopes of Mount Hermon, and is the highest such civilian settlement in Israeli-controlled territory at 1,110 meters above sea level. Located near the Israeli settlement of Neve Ativ and the Druze towns of Majdal Shams, Mas'ade, and Ein Qiniyye, it falls under the jurisdiction of Golan Regional Council. In 2019 it had a population of 16. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.

Settlement

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Beginning in the 1930s, Majdal Shams became involved in political developments in nearby Mandatory Palestine, and supported the Arab Palestinians during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Since the Six-Day War in 1967, Majdal Shams along with the broader Golan Heights have been under Israeli occupation, and were effectively annexed in 1981. The move was only recognized by the United States, after having been lobbied by Israeli officials. Majdal Shams is the largest of the four remaining Syrian Druze communities in the Israeli-occupied territories of Golan Heights, the other three being Ein Qiniyye, Mas'ade, and Buq'ata. While the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon are administratively joined, they differ geologically and geographically, with their boundary being marked by the Sa'ar Stream; Majdal Shams and Ein Qiniyye sit on limestone on the Hermon side, while Buq'ata and Mas'ade are on the Golan side, which is characterized by black volcanic rock (i.e., basalt).