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Israeli Golan residents tell government to 'wake up'

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Eli Malka, head of the Golan Regional Council, expressed concern that with violence in Syria spilling over into the Golan, inaction by the Israeli government might lead to residents there living under conditions similar to those of communities along the border with Gaza.
Syrian army soldiers fire during a battle in Syria with rebels near the border fence with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights September 1, 2014. Heavy fighting between Syrian army forces and rebels erupted on the Golan Heights on Monday, a Reuters photographer said, but it was unclear if either of the two sides had gained an advantage to control a key frontier crossing. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (SYRIA - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS MILITARY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR44GUY
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Sgt. Shahar Shalev, the 72nd casualty of Operation Protective Edge, was laid to rest Sept. 2 at a funeral in the Hispin community on the Golan Heights. Shalev hailed from the neighboring community of Alonei HaBashan, less than a kilometer from the Syrian border.

Echoes of nearby explosions could be heard in the area, resonating from the battles between the Syrian army and the rebels opposing the government. The Israel Defense Forces occasionally blocked roads and redirected traffic onto alternative routes, worried that the gun or mortar fire might spillover. Residents from the northern Golan Heights who made their way to the funeral were constantly updated about the dynamic, constantly changing map of blocked roads. They have been watching as their quiet, pastoral lives undergo an abrupt change.

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