IDF soldiers detained Israeli civilians in the Golan Heights on Monday after they tried to cross into Syrian territory, the military said, the latest in a week of similar attempts by activists from the right-wing HaBashan Pioneers movement who want a Jewish settlement on the Syrian side of the ceasefire line. The civilians were transferred to Israel Police, and the IDF said the crossing constituted a “serious offense” that diverts soldiers from their mission.
HaBashan, whose name is the biblical term for the Golan, has staged a string of incursions this year in the southern Golan near Mount Hermon and the village of Bir Ajam. Each time the IDF has stopped the activists, handed them to police, and warned that civilian crossings are a danger to troops already deployed inside a buffer zone that Israel has steadily expanded since Bashar al-Assad’s ouster.
Monday’s Detention at the Golan Border
Troops in the southern Golan prevented the civilians from crossing on Monday and handed them over to Israel Police, the IDF said. The military emphasized that illegal border crossings are dangerous, calling them a “serious offense,” and said it expects Israeli law enforcement to prevent future incidents.
The Monday episode follows two similar attempts on Wednesday and Thursday, when HaBashan Pioneers activists tried to cross the border to promote a new Israeli settlement, The Jerusalem Post reported. The IDF’s Monday statement pulled all three together and said the army “expects law enforcement authorities to bring those involved to justice and to act decisively to prevent such incidents.” Eli Ashkenazi contributed to The Jerusalem Post’s reporting.
A Year of Crossings by the Same Activists
The week’s incidents are the latest in a pattern of incursions this year by the same movement. On July 5, about 100 HaBashan activists crossed into the Syrian side of Mount Hermon and were subsequently detained by the IDF, according to The Jerusalem Post and the group’s own count.
In that case, the activists accused the military of using “severe violence” to detain them. They also said the IDF confiscated their phones, despite what the group described as their “complete passivity.” In earlier episodes:
- April 2026: 40 members of the movement were detained after traveling several hundred metres into Syria; Israel Police described the act as “prohibited and dangerous.”
- May 2026: 10 HaBashan members were detained after crossing the border, with the IDF warning that such actions endanger both Israeli soldiers and civilians.
The activists “have received support from coalition lawmakers,” the Times of Israel reported in its coverage of the latest attempt.
Why the IDF Calls It a “Serious Offense”
The IDF’s official framing centers on operational risk. The military says the activists’ actions “disrupt IDF operational activities and the security in the area, and divert the attention of commanders and soldiers from their mission,” according to the Times of Israel. Crossing the ceasefire line forces troops to redeploy, the argument goes, at a moment when Israel is already operating inside a buffer zone in southern Syria and holding nine posts there.
The same posture shows up on other Israeli frontiers. Jordan has detained Israeli civilians caught crossing illegally and handed them back to the IDF, and the army’s public line on that incident echoed the Golan warning verbatim: unauthorized crossings are illegal, the zones around them can turn dangerous fast, and even accidental strays face detention.
The Activists’ Strategic Argument
The Bashan Pioneers frame the crossings as defensive, not reckless. The group says it stages incursions in response to what it calls attempted attacks by Syrian terrorists against northern Israeli communities and points to a wider erosion of Israeli control inside the buffer zone.
“The events appear to be part of a slow but consistent deterioration and erosion of Israeli control in these areas by the terrorists and the hostile population in the area,” the group said in a statement after the July 5 detention, quoted by both The Jerusalem Post and Firstpost.
The movement argues that only civilian settlement can lock in Israeli control of the area. “If we do not integrate civilian settlement into the military grip, we may find ourselves in a situation similar to that along the Lebanese border,” HaBashan said. It added: “Eventually we will also reach Daraa, Quneitra and Abedin.” The organization said it deliberately positioned its members in mountainous terrain to make evacuation more difficult.
A Border Reshaped Since Assad’s Fall
The pattern has played out against a quieter backdrop of Israeli expansion inside the buffer zone since the Assad regime collapsed in late 2024. After Assad fell, Israel advanced through a UN-monitored demilitarized zone along the Golan and has held its position since. The Soufan Center reported in December 2025 that the IDF currently holds nine posts inside southern Syria, including two on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, with troops operating in areas up to nine miles inside the country.
Israel is also negotiating with Washington and Damascus over the limits of that presence. The Soufan Center noted that Israeli leaders want to expand the buffer further, while a senior U.S. official has warned that the trajectory risks “turning the new Syrian government into an enemy.” The post-Assad border has thus far remained unsettled, and the Israeli advance has shaped how far each side can push. The HaBashan movement is trying to convert that military footprint into permanent civilian settlement before any deal freezes the line.
Monday’s detentions, the IDF’s repeated warnings, and the activists’ insistence on returning suggest neither side is close to backing down.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the HaBashan Pioneers movement?
A right-wing Israeli activist group named for the biblical Bashan, the term for the Golan Heights. The movement has staged repeated crossings of the Israel-Syria ceasefire line and presses for the establishment of a Jewish settlement in the area.
Why are activists crossing into Syria?
The group says it is responding to what it calls attacks by Syrian terrorists on northern Israeli communities and argues that only civilian settlement can keep Israeli control of the region from eroding. The IDF says the crossings endanger soldiers and disrupt military operations.
Where exactly are the crossings happening?
The southern Golan Heights, mainly near Mount Hermon and the village of Bir Ajam on the Syrian side of the ceasefire line. The IDF says it currently holds nine posts inside southern Syria, including two on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon.
Has this happened before in 2026?
Yes. The IDF detained about 100 HaBashan activists on July 5, 2026, after they crossed into the Syrian side of Mount Hermon. Earlier in the year, 40 members were detained in April after traveling several hundred metres into Syria, and 10 more were detained in May, according to the movement.
Where are the detained Israelis now?
All have been transferred to Israel Police for further handling. The IDF has said it expects law enforcement authorities to pursue charges in each case.
