Israel says it plans to double population in Golan Heights

Israel announced plans to double its population in the occupied Golan Heights, earning international condemnation.

A colossal explosion rocked the Syrian port city of Tartus overnight, following a presumed Israeli airstrike, fueling fresh scrutiny over Israel's actions in Syria following the Assad regime's ouster.

Footage of the blast emerged as Israel announced plans to double its population in the occupied Golan Heights, citing threats from Syria. The move earned international condemnation and came after Syrian rebel leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani said he has no interest in engaging in new conflicts.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based war monitoring group, described the imagery emerging from Tartus as representing “the most violent Israeli strikes on military sites in the eastern Tartus area.”

In the video which spread across social media Monday, the massive explosion can be seen erupting across the Syrian skyline.

NBC News has been able to geolocate the footage as being filmed from Tartus port area pointing at the mountains northeast of the city, with NASA satellites detecting aftermath fires in an area just more than 9 miles from the harbor.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/israel-syria-tartus-golan-heights-bombing-rcna184324

---