Jewish activists detained after crossing into Syria, Lebanon

Some 40 Jewish activists were detained by the Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday after moving “several hundred meters” into Syrian territory, the military said.

IDF soldiers deployed in the area “returned the civilians to Israeli territory and apprehended them at the scene,” it stated, adding that they were transferred into the custody of the Israel Police.

“The IDF strongly condemns this incident and emphasizes its severity, which constitutes a criminal offense that endangers civilians and IDF troops,” the statement added.

In a related incident on Wednesday, as the Jewish state marked its 78th Independence Day, three Israeli civilians crossed into Lebanese territory, advancing “tens of meters” over the course of several minutes before returning, the IDF stated separately.

Troops stationed near the border detained the group and handed them over to police, the army added.

The crossings into Syria and Lebanon were organized by the Bashan Pioneers and Uri Tzafon resettlement groups, respectively, according to local media reports.

Footage from the Syria incident posted to social media showed activists standing on the roof of a building while dancing and singing, “Let us by all means go up, and we shall gain possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it. The land is very, very good,” citing from the biblical book of Numbers.

Bashan Pioneers said the activists barricaded themselves in a structure near the Syrian town of Hader, vowing to stay there until the Israeli government approves Jewish communities in the area.

Some Religious Zionist activists seek a return to parts of Lebanon and Syria, which were part of the ancient Land of Israel.

The Uri Tzafon (“North Awaken”) movement, which advocates for Jewish settlement in Southern Lebanon, previously crossed into the Land of the Cedars on Feb. 12, holding a tree-planting ceremony near the border village of Yaroun.

Israeli civilians are banned by law from entering designated enemy states such as Lebanon and Syria without authorization, with violations punishable by up to four years in prison.