Settler activists illegally cross into Syria, stay for full day before being nabbed by IDF

Incident marks latest attempt by Bashan Pioneers to establish settlements in Syrian buffer zone; soldiers hand activists over to police, condemn ‘criminal offense’

By Emanuel Fabian

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18 July 2026, 12:37 am

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Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

A group of settler activists illegally crossed the border into Syria and spent a full day there before being apprehended by Israeli troops on Friday, the latest of several recent incidents in which aspiring settlers have illicitly entered territory held by Israel’s army beyond its borders.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, the civilians crossed the border near Majdal Shams on Thursday.

Troops in the area searched for them, but located them only on Friday. The forces detained the civilians and handed them over to the Israel Police for further questioning, the IDF said.

Additionally, in several incidents on Friday, more settlement activists tried to cross into Syria in the southern Golan Heights. The IDF said troops prevented the civilians from crossing the border and handed them over to the police.

The military said there has been an increase in attempts by activists to cross the border into Syria in recent weeks.

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The activists, who call themselves the Bashan Pioneers, are pushing to establish settlements in the area. They have received support from some coalition lawmakers.

Members of the Bashan Pioneers have crossed into Syria several times, and in other instances have been stopped by the military before managing to cross the border.

“Such actions divert IDF soldiers’ attention from their ongoing operational activities and compromise security,” the military said, adding that it “emphasizes that such actions constitute a criminal offense that endangers civilians and IDF soldiers.”

“The IDF expects law enforcement authorities to bring those involved to justice and to act decisively to prevent such incidents,” the army added.

The IDF has been deployed to nine posts inside southern Syria since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024, mostly within a UN-patrolled buffer zone on the border between the countries.

Troops have been operating in areas up to around 15 kilometers (some nine miles) deep into Syria, aiming to defend the border and capture weapons that Israel says could pose a threat to the country if they fall into the hands of “hostile forces.”

Syria has called on Israel to withdraw from its territory, and US President Donald Trump has reportedly made the same request.

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