Israeli authorities detained about 10 residents from the northern West Bank who crossed into Syria on Monday, briefly planted an Israeli flag and a sign, and were escorted back across the border by soldiers, the military said.
The group entered a few meters into Syrian territory in the southern Golan Heights before being stopped. Soldiers returned them safely to Israel, and police later questioned them.
“Earlier today, a report was received about several vehicles carrying Israeli civilians who crossed the border fence into Syria. IDF forces at the scene returned the civilians safely to Israeli territory a short time later. The suspects were held by the forces in the field and summoned for questioning by the Israel Police,” the army said in a statement.
The military called the incident a serious offense that endangered the public and security forces. Crossing into Lebanon or Syria is punishable under Israeli law by up to four years in prison.
In January, two Israeli residents of Tamra and Buq’ata were arrested after driving across the border into Syria. A month earlier, police detained four Israelis who had crossed into Lebanon.
Last month, thousands of Druze from Israel entered Syria during protests in Sweida, a stronghold of the country’s Druze minority.