Israel seizes most important water resources in southern Syria and hints for a possibility of supplying it to Syria!
The general manager of the Israeli water company Mekorot, Amid Lang, hinted at the possibility of Israel becoming a water supplier to Syria in the future, as part of what he described as the possibility of a new political network in the region based on the sharing of resources.
During his participation in the Israeli Business Conference 2025, Lang said that what is happening in Syria is currently worth following, adding that Israel has technical capabilities that qualify it to be a water supplier to the countries of the region, without the company having a direct hand in political decision-making.
He pointed out that water cooperation between the company and Jordan will continue according to previous agreements, with the possibility of expanding this cooperation later.
Israel imposes its control over strategic water resources in southern Syria, foremost of which is the Golan Heights, which has been occupied since 1967, which is one of the richest areas in the Middle East in terms of groundwater and surface water.
The control also includes the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River, and a large number of springs, and international estimates indicate that the occupation controls about 40% of the water in southern Syria, and a large percentage of the water resources shared with Jordan, bringing the total percentage to about 80% of the region’s water.
After the recent political developments in Syria, Israel has intensified its military presence inside Syrian territory, and has taken control of the Mantara Dam in the countryside of Quneitra, which is one of the most important dams that serve agricultural areas in the south of the country.
Israeli forces turned the dam into a military site, denied farmers access to it, and began using its water to irrigate the occupied territories, exacerbating the water crisis in the governorates of Daraa and Quneitra.
This has led to a deterioration in the agricultural situation, in light of the lack of alternatives due to the decline of water infrastructure inside Syria.
Israel’s continued control of the dams in Quneitra poses a multidimensional threat to the water and food security of the Syrian population.
The Israeli army controls several main dams in the governorate, including:
- Mantara Dam (40.2 million m³)
- Ruwaihniyah Dam (1 million m³)
- Brega Dam (1.1 million m³)
- Kodna Dam (31 million m³)
