Reserve soldiers on the Syria border told Army Radio Wednesday that they had to call Israel Police's 100 emergency line themselves after waiting over six hours for officers to take three Israelis who crossed the border. The soldiers said police release crossers quickly, leading to repeat attempts, and that the chases divert them from their security mission.
Reserve soldiers serving on the Syria border have provided a new, more detailed testimony to Army Radio on Wednesday, revealing the extent of operational disruption caused by the detention of three Israeli activists who crossed the border. In the account—aired via Moriah Asraf and Doron Kadosh—the soldiers said that after capturing the three crossers at around 01:00 Tuesday, they waited over six hours at their outpost for police to arrive. When no officers came, one soldier called the 100 emergency line himself. "If we hadn't called 100, nobody would have come," he said. "Just a buck-passing from one agency to another." The soldiers described recognizing the same individuals crossing repeatedly, attributing it to police releasing detainees the same day. The testimony adds a detailed first-person account to what The Zioneer first reported as a public dispute between the IDF and police over the handover of the detainees.
The incident unfolded overnight Monday–Tuesday, when three activists linked to the 'Bashan Pioneers' group crossed into Syria from the Mount Hermon area. The IDF said it retrieved them and handed them to police. However, as The Zioneer reported at 06:11 Tuesday, police initially denied receiving the detainees, leading to a public confrontation between the two agencies. Hours later, by around 10:00 Tuesday, police confirmed they had received the suspects. Later Tuesday, at 06:11, the first reservist account emerged, in which soldiers said they guarded the crossers for six hours while waiting for police. The new testimony today adds the detail that the soldiers had to initiate the call themselves, as no handover coordination occurred.
The incident is the latest in a series of border stunts by 'Bashan Pioneers' that the IDF has condemned as criminal offenses that endanger troops and divert resources from the Syria sector. As The Zioneer previously reported, reservist units assigned to internal security missions have expressed growing frustration over the diversion from their primary operational focus. The broader context includes increasing pressure on the reserve system, which the IDF has warned is unsustainable without legislative intervention—as The Zioneer noted in its coverage of the reserve burden.
It remains unclear whether charges will be filed against the three crossers; as of the last update, no indictment had been announced. Israel Police has stated that it treats border crossings seriously and coordinates with the IDF, a response that reservists have challenged by citing quick releases that enable repeat attempts.
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
- Open-source intake