The IDF said Sunday evening that dozens of Israeli civilians — calling themselves the Bashan Pioneers — attempted to cross the border into Syria earlier today. Troops prevented the crossing, detained the group, and handed them to police for questioning. The military condemned the incident as a serious criminal offense endangering soldiers and civilians.
The IDF on Sunday evening confirmed that dozens of Israeli civilians, identifying themselves as the 'Bashan Pioneers,' attempted to cross the border into Syria earlier in the day. Troops prevented the crossing, detained the group, and transferred them to police for questioning. The military condemned the incident as 'a serious incident and a criminal offense that endangers both IDF soldiers and civilians.' This marks the latest known attempt by the group, founded in April 2025 after the fall of the Assad regime, to enter Syrian territory illegally.
Reporting on the incident first emerged around 22:22 Jerusalem time when journalist Itay Blumenthal reported that some 70 activists from the 'Pioneers of Bashan' movement had attempted to cross near Mount Hermon, with the IDF's 210th Division intercepting them based on prior intelligence. Over successive updates — all timestamped Sun 22:22 Jerusalem — the IDF confirmed the detentions, condemned the attempt as a criminal offense, and stated that detainees were handed over to police. By 22:31 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported the military's full condemnation and the group's identification. The thread thus evolved from an unconfirmed activist report to an on-record IDF statement.
As The Zioneer previously reported (Thu Jul 2, 09:02 Jerusalem), the Bashan Pioneers have called for the cultivation and sale of crops from Syrian land, and have advocated Jewish settlement in southern Syria — an area they refer to as Bashan, encompassing parts of Quneitra and Daraa. The group has received support from some Israeli lawmakers, as noted in earlier coverage. This incident is distinct from ongoing clashes between IDF forces and local villagers in the Syrian village of Abdin near the Yarmouk Basin, which continued earlier Sunday and into the night, as reported separately.
No injuries were reported in the border detention incident. It remains unclear whether any of the detainees have been formally charged or what legal proceedings will follow.
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