For the first time since Israel’s founding, civilians will be allowed to cross the border fence with Syria and join guided tours inside a restricted military zone during the upcoming Passover holiday, the Israeli military announced.
The unprecedented tours, which have received special authorization from the IDF, will include access to the Roked Stream, the El-Hama Bridge on the Yarmouk River, a tunnel from the historic Hejaz Railway and a lookout near the Mount Dov site associated with the biblical “Covenant Between the Pieces.”
The initiative is a collaboration between the IDF Northern Command, the army’s 210th Division, the Keshet Yehonatan educational center, the Golan Field School, the Golan Regional Council and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.
The Roked Stream, which serves as part of the border between Israel and Syria, is the Golan Heights’ longest stream, stretching 46 miles (74 kilometers) through basalt cliffs, waterfalls and natural pools. Located within a closed military zone beyond Israel’s security fence, the area has until now been off-limits to the public. Tour participants will be allowed to swim in the stream’s pools at their own risk.
One tour will take visitors to the El-Hama Bridge, which crosses the Yarmouk River and once formed part of the Valley Railway line that linked to the Hejaz Railway. The bridge was destroyed in 1946 during the pre-state “Night of the Bridges” sabotage campaign carried out by the Jewish underground. The tour also includes Tunnel 105 and other segments of the historic railway route.
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Three of the guided hikes are intended for families with strong hiking ability, according to organizers. A fourth, less strenuous tour will include a visit to the Mount Dov lookout, situated within a closed sector of the Hermon ridge. From there, visitors can view southern Lebanon, the Lebanon Mountains and the Bekaa Valley. The route to the site passes through the Pear Valley and alongside the Arar and Sion streams.
Tours will run in multiple time slots. Participation requires advance registration through the official website or by messaging 053-9622500 on WhatsApp.