Israelis Cross Syrian Border, IDF Condemns 'Serious Disruption'
Fourteen Israeli civilians crossed the border into Syria on Tuesday evening, entering an area controlled by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) near the Circassian village of Bir al-Ajam in the Golan Heights.
An IDF force was dispatched to locate the civilians and returned them to Israeli territory. The individuals were detained and handed over to the Israel Police for further processing.
The IDF issued a strong condemnation of the incident, calling it another instance of serious disruption to operational activities and a danger to the security of IDF forces operating in the area. The military urged law enforcement to prosecute those involved to prevent repeat offenses, labeling the act a criminal offense.
Conversely, the Halutzei HaBasan movement stated that the individuals were activists aiming to return to a site known as "Neve HaBasan," where families from the movement had previously settled and were later evacuated. The movement explained that the activists decided to return and push for actual settlement, believing there is political and ground-level support for legal Israeli settlement in the Golan Heights.
The movement added that military and police systems are aware of their activists' policy and expressed expectations for law enforcement to act in accordance with democratic state practices.
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