First Israeli Comment on Rumors of Golan Exchange for Shebaa Farms and Mount Dov

In light of recent reports about an Israeli offer said to have been made to Damascus to relinquish the occupied Golan Heights in exchange for the Shebaa Farms and Mount Dov (known to Israel as Mount Dov), the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu categorically denied these claims.

The office stated in an official statement issued on Wednesday evening that "the news about Israel considering the transfer of Mount Dov is completely false."

This denial comes after the Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported from sources within the government that serious discussions had taken place regarding the possibility of conceding the Shebaa Farms and Mount Dov to Syria in exchange for relinquishing the Golan Heights, and that officials discussed the political aspects of this step.

It is worth noting that the ownership of the Shebaa Farms officially belongs to Lebanon, which Lebanese officials have repeatedly confirmed, while Israel has occupied most of the Golan Heights since 1967, taking advantage of the chaos that followed the overthrow of the Syrian regime in late 2024 to expand its occupation in southern Syria.

In a related context, Damascus and Tel Aviv began direct negotiations weeks ago aimed at reaching a security agreement regarding the situation in southern Syria, and Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara confirmed that the discussions had made tangible progress.

Nevertheless, U.S. envoy Tom Brack indicated that reaching a final agreement is still a distant goal.

Amid these developments, the issue of the Golan Heights, Shebaa Farms, and Mount Dov remains a sensitive topic reflecting the complexities of the regional landscape and raises questions about the future of negotiations between the two sides.