Israeli troops light Hanukkah candles in occupied territories, sparking outcry

Images and videos circulating on social media show Israeli soldiers conducting Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremonies in several occupied territories, actions widely condemned as deliberate provocations. The incidents occurred on Sunday in locations including Syria's Mount Hermon (Sheikh Mountain), the West Bank's Tulkarem refugee camp, and the ruins of the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza's Beit Lahia.

Symbolic Acts Across Multiple Fronts

The ceremonies were not isolated to one area. In Syria, soldiers lit a Hanukkah menorah on Mount Hermon, a strategic peak in the Golan Heights that Israel has occupied since 1967 and expanded into following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad. In the West Bank, troops were seen with candles inside the Tulkarem refugee camp. In Gaza, videos emerged of soldiers holding lit torches atop the rubble of a destroyed hospital in the north, and of a battalion lighting candles in the southern city of Rafah. Israel maintains control over approximately 53% of the Gaza Strip, including prime agricultural land.

Regional Tensions and Official Rhetoric

These symbolic acts occur against a backdrop of escalating friction. Last week, Israel's Minister for Diaspora Affairs and the Struggle Against Antisemitism, Amichai Chikli, stated that war with Syria was "inevitable". Furthermore, Israel's military presence in southern Syria has significantly increased since late 2024, with forces moving into areas that were part of a UN-monitored demilitarized buffer zone established in 1974. This expansion has involved establishing checkpoints, patrols, and new military camps, actions repeatedly documented as violations of the disengagement agreement by United Nations reports.

Condemnation and the Broader Conflict

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa recently accused Israel of "exporting crisis" to other countries to divert attention from Gaza. The candle-lighting incidents have been linked online by some observers to the controversial ideological concept of a "Greater Israel". The events in Syria appear to be part of a pattern of actions cementing Israel's control over strategic territory, with analysts noting the area's critical importance for water security and military oversight.