Barak government cancels all restrictions on settlement expansion in the Golan

The Israeli government on Thursday abrogated the decision that provided for freezing the settlement process in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

The director general of the Israeli prime minister's office, Yossi Kucik, said in a statement to Israeli Radio on Thursday that the government of Barak has abrogated the decision to freeze development plans in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

Kucik added, "We have decided to cancel the decision of freezing development plans in the Golan," noting in particular several tourism and economic projects, frozen for several months.

For its part, Israeli Radio stated that among the projects freed from the freeze are the al-Hemmeh development project and another building project in Kursi area in addition to several settlement, housing, agricultural and industrial projects.