Druze Sisters Reunite After 22 Years Across Border

Samar Safadi sits next to a window after speaking by phone with her sister, Sawsan, who lives inside the buffer zone near the "Alpha Line" that separates the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights from Syri

Four sisters from the Druze community recently experienced a heartwarming reunion after being separated for 22 years due to war and occupation. The Safadi sisters, residing in Majdal Shams, a Druze town near the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, were able to see their sister, Sawsan, who lives in Syria, from a distance across the border.

The Golan Heights, a rocky plateau annexed by Israel in 1981, has been a point of contention as the international community considers it occupied Syrian territory. Families like the Safadis have been divided by this geopolitical conflict, with limited opportunities for physical contact over the years.