Israelis with settlement aspirations encroach into Syria

Israeli civilians crossed the border in the Golan Heights into Syrian territory on Monday, the Israel Defense Forces said.

Israeli troops rushed to the scene, located the civilians and “returned them safely to the territory of the State of Israel,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said.

They will be transferred for further handling by the Israel Police, the military added.

“The IDF strongly condemns the incident and emphasizes that this is a serious event constituting a criminal offense that endangers the citizens and IDF forces,” the statement read.

Israeli broadcaster Channel 14’s correspondent Shirel Lalom tweeted on Monday that the group of civilians, from the Bashan Pioneers organization, remained in Syrian territory for more than two hours.

Bashan Pioneers is named after the fertile region east of the Jordan River in the Golan Heights, extending into modern-day Syria, which according to the biblical account was conquered by the Israelites under Moses.

This same group was responsible for a similar breaching incident that took place on Aug. 18. A group of some 10 Israeli Jewish activists from northern Samaria briefly crossed into Syrian territory before being escorted back across the border by IDF soldiers.

Then, the activists planted a tree and an Israeli flag and erected a sign for a new community called “Nave Habashan.” Video from the scene showed them dancing and holding what they said was a cornerstone for the new community.