Quneitra
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The hospital of Al-Qunaytirah as it looks today. |
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The town of Al-Qunaytirah in September 2001 |
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Pope John Paul prays in the destroyed Greek Orthodox church in Al Qunaytirah |
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The governorate of Al Qunaytirah |
Quneitra or
Al Qunaytirah' (
Arabic القنيطرة) is a city of southwestern
Syria that is now largely abandoned. It lies in the UN-monitored demilitarized zone between Syria and
Israel. The city was a commercial and cultural hub for southwestern Syria until the
Six-Day War, when Israel gained control of the
Golan Heights. The city was placed back under Syria's control for a short while in the Arab initiated
Yom Kippur War, but Israel recaptured it.
An
Israeli settlement named Keshet was established nearby by
Gush Emunim without governmental approval, and was later relocated as Israel withdrew from the city in 1974 . However, Syria chose not to resettle or rebuild the city. Syria claims that Israel deliberately destroyed Quneitra, and systematically stripped it of its usefulness but Israel claims that the city was destroyed in the fighting from both sides . The General Assembly of the United Nations condemned what it saw as Israel's role in the destruction of the city in Resolution 3240 dated
29 November 1974.
Since
2005, Syria has pledged to reconstruct the city. It has started construction projects which include a multi-million dollar hospital and a new highway from
Damascus to Al Qunaytirah .
Tradition holds that
Saint Paul passed through Qunaytirah on his way from Damascus to
Jerusalem. The city was home to an important
Greek Orthodox church until the Six Day War. Syria claims Israel destroyed and robbed the church [
1], while Israel claims that the town, including the church, was destroyed by Syrian artillery during and before the
Yom Kippur War [
2].
Al Qunaytirah is also the name of a governorate of southwestern Syria that officially includes the Israeli portion of the
Golan Heights. The legal status of the territories is discussed in
International law and the Arab-Israeli conflict.
In a
"Report of the Security Council commission" established under resolution 446, Yassin Rikab, a witness called in by Mr. Najib Al Ahmad, Special Representative of
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), testified about Israel's alleged destruction of the city before withdrawal: "At the beginning of June 1974, the witness had visited the city of Quneitra, where he saw a large number of Israeli bulldozers destroying the town and the surrounding areas." [
3]
Israel, on the other hand, claims that the town was destroyed by Syrian artillery during and before the
Yom Kippur War.
Also, The New York Times on
October 21 1973 referred to Quneitra as "a bombed-out military town the Syrians lost to the Israelis ..."[
4]
*
Shebaa Farms*
Official site of the province of Quneitra*
CAMERA Column: Syria's Quneitra Hoax*
Quneitra Syria gate article*
Quneitra Damascus Online article
