A group of some 10 Israeli Jewish activists from northern Samaria briefly crossed into Syrian territory on Monday before being escorted back across the border by Israeli soldiers.
According to Hebrew media reports, the activists were from a group called “Bashan Pioneers,” named after the fertile region east of the Jordan River in the Israeli Golan Heights, extending into modern-day Syria, which according to the biblical account was conquered by the Israelites under Moses.
The activists planted a tree and an Israeli flag and erected a sign for a new community called “Nave Habashan.” Video from the scene shows them dancing and holding what they claimed was a cornerstone for the new community.
"חלוצי הבשן": קבוצת יהודים עברו היום את הגדר של גבול סוריה ושתלו עץ במקום, מספר משתתפים עברו גם את המכשול של צה"ל והוחזרו על ידי חיילים pic.twitter.com/vzBbJSPjz6
— שיראל ללום נהיר🇮🇱🧡 (@shirellaloom) August 18, 2025
The participants were later questioned by police after being safely returned to Israeli territory.
“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 it a “grave incident that constitutes a criminal offense and endangers the public and IDF troops.”
Last month, thousands of Israeli Druze crossed into Syria after regime-aligned forces attacked the city of Sweida and its surrounding villages, home to a large Druze community.
Other border crossings have been reported recently, including two Israelis arrested in January after driving into Syrian territory and four Israelis arrested in December last year after crossing into Lebanon, reportedly to visit the grave of a Talmudic sage.
