Israeli troops shoot dead Syrian hunter in occupied Golan

The Israeli army admitted on Sunday to firing at two Syrians as they hunted near the occupied Golan Heights, resulting in the death of one.

Israeli media initially reported that the two Syrians were armed and attempting to cross the frontier from southern Syria into the Israeli-occupied section of the Golan Heights "to carry out an operation", prompting Israeli soldiers to shoot at them.

One of the men succumbed to his wounds while the other was allowed to return to Syria after being detained.

It later emerged that the two men were hunters carrying rifles. No further information was given.

Israel captured the Syrian Golan Heights during the 1967 war with Arab states, but illegally annexed the region in 1981, a move not recognised by most of the international community. Its residents are able to claim Israeli citizenship and are subject to Israeli civil law.

Former US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation in 2019 recognising Israel's annexation of the territory, which was denounced by the rest of the international community who have never recognised Israel's claims to the Syrian territory.