While the war in Syria rages in its sixth year, more than a quarter of a million people have died, and millions have been forced to flee their country, the Syrian government and numerous insurgent groups have finally agreed to meet and negotiate the possibility of a ceasefire in order to put a halt to the ongoing conflict.
Israel established its first field hospital to provide treatment for Syrians in the Golan Heights, and in 2013, the Ziv Hospital in Safed, became the first Israeli hospital to provide medical assistance to Syrians. Furthermore, various Israeli NGOs have initiated campaigns to collect funds in order to continue supporting Syrian civilians in need.
The field tour provided strategic and security insight, showed the humanitarian aspect of Israel’s role in the war, and helped the journalists to examine the Syrian perspective as seen by the Druze of the Golan Heights.
The tour included:
Visit to Ziv Hospital
Briefing with a medical professional and a social worker in hospital
Meeting with wounded Syrians
Security and strategic briefing by IDF Commander, Northern Command
Meeting with Druze residents in the Golan Heights
Lunch
