Three Israelis Cross Into Syria Near Mount Hermon and Are Returned by IDF

On Tuesday night, three Israeli civilians crossed the border into Syrian territory near Mount Hermon. An IDF force quickly responded, located the individuals, and returned them to Israeli soil. The civilians were detained and handed over to the Israeli police for further processing.

The group belonged to the "Pioneers of Bashan" movement, which reported that its activists were arrested again near a makeshift tent they had set up in the area known as "Tal Hermon." Over the past month, the activists have repeatedly visited the site and were removed and detained several times. Before their arrest, the activists stated that establishing a Jewish settlement there is the only way to ensure IDF control and prevent future soldier casualties like those in southern Lebanon during the Shamir and Peres eras.

The Pioneers of Bashan criticized the Defense Ministry's campaign, claiming it obscures the real issue: repeated border crossings by youths indicate that current border security methods are ineffective. They advocate for a natural civilian presence in the area instead of relying solely on fences and cameras.

The IDF condemned the incident as a serious disruption to operational activity and a danger to soldiers' safety. It called on law enforcement to hold those involved accountable to prevent repeated illegal border crossings, which constitute a criminal offense.