Reserve soldiers serving in the Syria sector told Army Radio (Galatz) on Wednesday morning that their mission has devolved into repeatedly chasing Israeli citizens who cross the border illegally, calling it 'absurd' and a drain on operational resources. The soldiers said three suspects were caught overnight, but they had to guard them for over six hours waiting for police, eventually calling 100 themselves.
Reserve soldiers on the Syria border reported early Wednesday that after capturing three Israelis who crossed the border overnight, they were forced to guard them for over six hours waiting for police to arrive — eventually calling the 100 emergency line themselves. The soldiers described the mission as 'absurd,' saying the chases drain operational resources and divert them from their primary security task of defending the Golan Heights sector.
The development follows a series of reports published by The Zioneer on Tuesday, Aug 11, at 06:11 Jerusalem, which detailed the overnight border crossing by three activists from the 'Bashan Pioneers' movement. The thread began with an IDF statement that the three had been returned and handed to police. A public dispute then erupted when police denied receiving them; by Tuesday morning police confirmed the handover. Subsequent reports featured reserve soldiers calling the repeated pursuit of activists 'absurd' and noting that over 20 crossings had occurred in recent months.
As The Zioneer has reported, the wider context includes IDF warnings that reserve forces are approaching unsustainable strain due to multiple fronts and a growing personnel shortfall. On Jul 2 and Jun 30, The Zioneer published assessments from senior IDF officers warning of near-record draft evasion and the need to extend mandatory service to relieve the reserve burden.
The soldiers' account raises questions about inter-agency coordination regarding border crossers, with the reservists stating that police frequently release detainees quickly, leading to repeat attempts. No formal changes to the handling of such incidents have been announced.
15 developments
- DevelopingIDF warns border stunts threaten security after search for 15 teen activists in Syria
- StrongThree Israeli civilians detained by IDF after crossing into Syria
- StrongIDF detains Israelis who crossed into Syria
- DevelopingIDF soldier posts angry message: 'Don't we have enough work?' on Syria border
Source and signal
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