Quneitra

The town of Al-Qunaytirah in September 2001

Al Qunaytirah' or Quneitra 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 attacked the Golan Heights and captured it. Israel claims its attack on the Golan Heights 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 what it saw as Israel's role in the destruction of the city in Resolution 3740 dated 29/11/1974. Syria chose not to resettle the city and leave it as a testament to what it calls "Zionist 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.

Destruction

File:Qunaytirahpope.jpg

Pope John Paul prays in the destroyed Greek Orthodox church in Al Qunaytirah

In a "Report of the Security Council commission" established under resolution 446, a witness testified as to 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. [1]

Another witness said that in Quneitra, the Israeli army had destroyed everything including the trees. They had desecrated the graves in the cemetery and used the hospital as a shooting ground.

Israel claims that the town was destroyed by Syrian artillary during and before the Yom Kippur War.

The New York Times on October 21 1973 referred to Quneitra as "a bombed-out military town the Syrians lost to the Israelis ..."[2]

Religious importance

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 [3]. While Israel claims that the town, including the church, was destroyed by Syrian artillary during and before the Yom Kippur War [4].

Governorate

Al Qunaytirah is also the name of a governorate of southwestern Syria that includes the Israeli occupied Golan Heights. Israel objects to the international use of the term "occupied". However, the term is used by the international community and Syria to refer to the area.

The governorate of Al Qunaytirah