The Israeli military stated on Sunday that it had detained several Israeli settlers who attempted to cross into Syrian territory through the Mount Hermon area. The group, known as the Bashan Pioneers, posted a brief video on Instagram earlier on Sunday, claiming its members were “marching beyond the old border in order to settle in the Bashan region.” The video caption indicated that about 100 activists were participating in the march “with the aim of establishing a Jewish settlement there.”
Conflicting Reports on Participant Numbers
Israeli media provided varying figures regarding the number of participants. Public broadcaster Kan reported approximately 70 participants and stated on Monday that Israeli forces arrested “six Jewish activists” who attempted to enter Syrian territory from Mount Hermon “in violation of the law.” According to the Israeli news website Ynet, the military dispatched forces to the area, blocked the group from crossing the border, detained those involved, and transferred them to police custody.
Military Condemnation and Settler Accusations
The Times of Israel quoted the Israeli army condemning the attempted border crossing as a “serious incident and a criminal offense that endangers both IDF soldiers and civilians.” Meanwhile, the settlers accused the military of using “severe violence” during the arrests and confiscating their phones despite what they described as their “complete passivity,” as reported by the Jerusalem Post.
Kan military correspondent Itay Blumental posted on X on Monday that forces from the Israeli army’s 210th Division had arrested six members of the Bashan Pioneers who had attempted to enter Syria illegally from Mount Hermon and had transferred them to the police. Blumental added, “There is no law, and there is no judge. Anarchy.” The previous day, he stated in another post that the 210th Division had “taken control of the criminals near the border” after about 70 settlers attempted to “infiltrate Syria.”
Blame on Legal Authorities
Blumental also wrote that senior military officials were blaming police, prosecutors, and the courts for failing to impose deterrent punishments on those involved. He noted that the “criminals from ‘Pioneers of the Bashan’ receive backing from coalition members.” He shared a video showing Israeli soldiers trying to remove settlers in a mountainous area. The group reportedly “intentionally positioned itself in a mountainous area to make evacuation difficult,” according to the Jerusalem Post.
Background of the Bashan Pioneers
The attempted crossing is reportedly the latest in a series of actions by members of the movement in areas near the Syrian border. In April, Israeli media reported that members of the Bashan Pioneers entered the town of Ain Al-Tineh in Syria’s Quneitra countryside. The movement takes its name from Bashan, a historical term for a region spanning parts of southern Syria, including the Golan, Hauran, Al-Lajat, and Jabal Al-Arab. According to Israeli media, it presents itself as a religious and historical project and promotes stronger Israeli ties to territory beyond the ceasefire line in the Golan.
Emergence Amid Changing Security Conditions
The group reportedly emerged in 2025 amid changing security conditions along the border between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan, particularly after the Israeli military expanded its presence around Mount Hermon in late 2024. On December 8, 2024, the Israeli military moved troops into the UN-monitored buffer zone between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and the rest of Syria, exploiting the security vacuum created by the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime. As a rebel offensive swept through Damascus, Israeli troops also took positions on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, the highest peak in the Levant. Israeli leaders described the move as a security measure, while the UN stated it breached the 1974 disengagement agreement.
