US State Department spokesperson John Kirby stressed Monday night that the Obama administration does not consider the Golan Heights to be part of Israel, Haaretz newspaper reported on its website Tuesday.

This statement came one day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed they "will forever remain under Israeli sovereignty."

"The US position on the issue is unchanged," Kirby told reporters during a daily briefing at the US State Department in Washington. 

"This position was maintained by both Democratic and Republican administrations. Those territories are not part of Israel and the status of those territories should be determined through negotiations. The current situation in Syria does not allow this," Kirby said.

Source : MENA