Quneitra
Al Qunaytirah 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 invaded and captured it. Israel claims its invasion was purely in self-defense as a response to Syrian shelling of the Galilee. The city was placed back under Syria's control for a short while in the Yom Kippur War, but Israel recaptured it. The Israelis withdrew from the city in 1974. Syria claims that Israel deliberately destroyed the city, and systematically stripped it of its usefullness. Israel claims that the city was destroyed in the fighting from both sides. The General Assembly of the United Nations condemned Israels destruction of the city in its Resolution 3740 dated 29/11/1974. Syria chose not to resettle the city and leave it as a testament to what it calls "Israeli brutality."
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. Some analysts consider this move to be a sign of wanting peace with Israel because Syria is choosing not to keep its closest city to Israel an isolated war-zone.
Governorate
Al Qunaytirah is also the name of a governorate of southwestern Syria that includes the Israeli controlled Golan Heights.
 | This Middle East location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |