The Golan Heights has a political and strategic significance which belies its size. There are 30+ Jewish settlements on the heights and 20,000 Syrians, mostly members of the Druze sect. 900+ UN soldiers monitor the Israel/Syria border. However Syria’s violence spilling into the UN patrolled zone has prompted Austria to remove its 377 peacekeeping soldiers after nearly four decades of peacekeeping. This decision leaves the Philippines as the largest contributor. India also has troops based in the Golan, but Croatia, Canada and Japan have withdrawn their contingents because of the Syrian conflict. Syria's deployment of tanks in the demilitarized zone violates 1973 ceasefire agreements but sources told the BBC that Israel will not react. There are concerns the civil war in Syria will spill further over this and other borders and that the Golan Heights could be used to launch attacks against Israel.

Pray: for containment of Islamist extremists and Hezbollah militants fighting in Syria and that the war will not spill further into neighbouring countries. (Ps.80:14 & 19)

More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22862213