The Israel Defense Forces said a force at the Mount Hermon border prevented several Israeli civilians from attempting to cross into Syria and detained them. The civilians were transferred to police. The IDF condemned the incident as a criminal offense endangering civilians and troops, and called for prosecution.
The IDF confirmed Wednesday evening that its forces prevented several Israeli civilians from crossing into Syria at the Mount Hermon border area, detaining them and handing them over to police. The military condemned the incident as a criminal offense that endangers civilians and soldiers and disrupts operational activity, and called on law enforcement to prosecute those involved. The statement is the latest in a series of updates from the IDF, which has described the incident as part of a recurring phenomenon.
The incident was first reported by ynet at 16:39 Jerusalem, with the IDF confirming the detention shortly afterward. The Zioneer reported at 19:49 Jerusalem based on military sources that the IDF had prevented the crossing. Over the course of the evening, the IDF escalated its language, labeling the attempt a criminal offense and calling for prosecution. The detainees were transferred to the Israel Police.
The attempted border crossing is the latest in a pattern of similar efforts by Israeli activists, particularly members of the Bashan Pioneers group, which advocates for establishing Israeli communities in Syria. As The Zioneer has reported, the IDF has detained dozens of activists in recent weeks, including an incident on Tuesday in which a planned airstrike was averted after the activists were briefly misidentified as infiltrators. The group's activities have drawn support from coalition lawmakers, though no charges have been filed.
What remains unclear is whether the activists involved in Wednesday's incident will face legal consequences. The IDF has called for prosecution, but no charges have been announced.
10 developments
- ConfirmedIDF detains settler activists after overnight attempt to cross into Syria at Mount Hermon
- StrongIDF detains Israelis who crossed into Syria
- StrongIDF detained 70 'Bashan Pioneers' activists attempting to cross into Syria at Mount Hermon
- StrongReport: IDF averted accidental strike on Israeli activists at Mount Hermon overnight
Source and signal
- Internal intake