The IDF has reported a sharp rise in incidents involving right-wing activists infiltrating Syria in attempts to establish a “Jewish settlement” in the area, warning of a tangible security threat. According to the army, three civilians crossed the border into Syria yesterday evening in the foothills of Mount Hermon and were returned to Israel nearly a day later after the IDF located them and brought them back.
Senior military officials warned that the border crossings could still drag Israel into a serious security and diplomatic predicament. “We are investing efforts in chasing after a group of teenagers that is diverting attention from an armed enemy. Terror elements on the other side are looking for an opportunity to harm them,” they warned.
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They 'call themselves ‘Pioneers of Bashan,’ but there is nothing pioneering about what they are doing'
(Photo: Pioneers of Bashan)
According to a Northern Command officer, the young people, most of them minors belonging to an ideological group that believes in settling parts of Syria and Lebanon, “call themselves ‘Pioneers of Bashan,’ but there is nothing pioneering about what they are doing. We call them ‘Bashan outlaws’ because they are simply breaking the law.”
The incident joins a growing series of events in recent weeks. Conversations with senior military officials painted a complex picture of the daily challenges faced by forces in the area as they deal with members of the movement, who have become adept at challenging the army in efforts to cross the border and enter Syrian territory in the area held by IDF forces since the fall of the Assad regime.
According to military officials, “They arrive each time at a different location in an organized manner. We are unable to anticipate it and provide an alert because of the limitations stemming from the fact that they are Israeli citizens.”
'They exploit the terrain — and sneak in'
According to the officials, the activists operate in a planned manner against border infrastructure.
“The significance is that we encounter them already at the fence. They arrive at places where they cross the fence, they are equipped with tools to cut it and they damage it fairly quickly with electric cutting discs, cut through it and enter Syrian territory. It should be said that in most cases, when we reach them, they do not resist and we collect them and bring them back into Israel. There have also been cases in which they behaved violently toward the forces.”
Forced to ambush civilians instead of the enemy. IDF soldiers on the border with Syria
(Photo: Efi Sharir)
A significant number of the recent incidents have occurred at the summit of Mount Hermon, where there is no physical barrier but rather a topographical one.
“A relatively new playing field has opened up on the slopes of Hermon,” military officials explained. “They exploit the terrain and the limited visibility and fog there and manage to sneak through. Our mission is defense. Heaven forbid our eyes should constantly be searching inside our own territory. While our eyes are looking into Syrian territory, they manage to enter without us seeing.”
Another official said: “It is inconceivable that we need to position ambushes with our regular and reserve combat forces, to lie in wait and conduct surveillance against our own citizens instead of against the enemy. Our mission is to defend Israeli territory and our surveillance and intelligence-gathering capabilities need to be directed beyond the border, into enemy territory.”
According to commanders in the field, the operational distraction comes at a direct cost to the forces’ readiness.
“We are investing our efforts in chasing after a group of teenagers that is simply wasting our time, energy and resources and diverting our attention,” another military official said.
In recent weeks, almost every night, forces have carried out searches to locate Israeli “infiltrators” who managed to cross the border into Syrian territory.
“When we redirect our surveillance systems to search for those teenagers who entered, instead of using them to scan infiltration routes and detect enemy movement, we harm our operational readiness and preparedness. That is the thing that bothers us most.”
A unique challenge in Syria
The IDF emphasized the operational differences and unique characteristics of Syrian territory compared with other fronts, saying this is what makes the activities of “Pioneers of Bashan” dangerous.
“The unique challenge in Syria, unlike any other border front, is that on the Golan side of the border we did not evacuate the entire population from the security zone. Unlike Lebanon or Gaza, where there is a ‘yellow line’ controlled by our forces and no one is allowed to enter, Syria is different. Civilians move around inside the security zone, and among them could also be terror elements located just an hour’s drive from the capital, Damascus.”
Activists exploit terrain conditions to sneak into Syria
(Photo: Efi Sharir)
Military officials explained that “there is an enormous risk for anyone who crosses the fence and enters the territory of an enemy state. There is certainly a real danger here.”
They added that the army knows that terror elements on the other side are following declarations and efforts by Israeli movements to establish Jewish communities in the area and “are deeply engaged in this issue and looking for an opportunity to harm those people.”
Blame game
In a statement issued by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit on Thursday, the army pointed an accusing finger at the Israel Police, calling for more effective police action.
“Law enforcement authorities are required to fully pursue legal action against those involved, in order to prevent these civilians from repeatedly carrying out this phenomenon, which constitutes a criminal offense,” the statement said.
Police officials, however, argued that they are working to prosecute and distance those involved, noting that in recent days seven investigation files have already been transferred to the State Attorney’s Office for decisions on indictments against those who crossed the borders.
Police said that only in cases where the international “Blue Line” border between Israel and Syria is crossed can suspects be prosecuted, while in many cases those arrested did not actually cross the official border between the countries.
Pioneers of Bashan activists. Crossing the fence into Syrian territory in 2025
(Photo: Pioneers of Bashan)
The “Pioneers of Bashan” movement claimed it was being treated unfairly by police and the military, saying arrests and police orders barring activists from parts of the Golan Heights and the border area “will not weaken their resolve,” despite the fact that no one officially sent them on what they view as a sacred mission.
In a statement issued yesterday in response to the removal order against two movement activists from the Golan Heights for 45 days, the group said:
“Arrests and removals will not delay the great process of advancing Jewish settlement in the Bashan region. On the contrary, the more hostile elements attempt to harm activists, the more the importance of the movement and the necessity of its activities become clear. Jewish settlement in the Bashan region will be established despite the opposition of Julani, his people and anyone seeking to harm the State of Israel and its security.”
This afternoon, following the arrest of three additional young men who crossed the border and held morning prayers in the “Tel Hermon” settlement in Syrian territory, the movement said:
“Unfortunately, the activists were discovered, and unfortunately, once again IDF soldiers were sent to evacuate — precisely what is good for them and for all of us. Let us sit here quietly, and our settlement will help and add to everyone. There is no need to create unnecessary disturbances, provocations and evacuations.”