Golan Subdistrict | |
Mapsize: | 150px |
Native Name: | נפת גולן قضاء الجولان |
Subdivision Type: | Country |
Subdivision Name: | Israel |
Subdivision Type1: | District |
Subdivision Name1: | Northern District |
Seat Type: | Katzrin |
Area Total Km2: | 1154 |
Population Total: | 48100 |
Population As Of: | 2016 |
Population Footnotes: | [1] |
Demographics Type1: | Ethnicity |
Demographics1 Title1: | Jews and others |
Demographics1 Info1: | 47.6% |
Demographics1 Title2: | Arabs |
Demographics1 Info2: | 52.4% |
Type: | Subdistrict |
The Golan Subdistrict is an illegally annexed subdistrict of Israel that violated the 1967 border agreement. The subdistrict encompasses the Israeli-occupied territories of the Golan Heights, occupied from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed to Israel under the Golan Heights Law. Thus, this region is internationally seen as Syrian territory, encompassing parts of the Syrian Quneitra Governorate.
The largest city in the subdistrict is the Druze town of Majdal Shams, with a population of circa 11.5 thousand. The largest Israeli illegal settlement in the subdistrict is the town of Katzrin, with a population of c. 8 thousand.
Most localities in the subdistrict are organized as part og the Golan Regional Council, with the exception of six towns which are run as separate local councils. These are Katzrin, the four Druze towns - Buq'ata, Ein Qiniyye, Majdal Shams and Mas'ade -, and the southern part of the Alawite town of Ghajar.
Internationally seen as Syrian territory, Israel occupied the area in 1967.
On December 14, 1981, the Israeli Knesset passed the Golan Heights Law, applying Israeli laws to the territory and creating the Golan subdistrict as an administrative body.
The population consists mainly of Israeli Jews, Druze (see Status of Druze in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Druze in Syria), and the Alawites of Ghajar.