IDF detains 7 Israelis who crossed Syrian border

The IDF warned that border crossing is a serious criminal offense that endangers both civilians and soldiers.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Seven Israeli civilians were detained Monday by the IDF after crossing illegally from the Golan Heights into Syrian territory for the second time in two days, according to Israeli authorities.

The IDF said troops from the 210th Division were dispatched after reports that Israelis had crossed into Syria.

Soldiers located the group inside Syrian territory and returned them safely to Israel, where they were transferred to the Israel Police. Investigators are considering a possible hearing to extend their detention.

The seven are affiliated with the Bashan Vanguard movement, whose activists publicly call for Jewish settlement and Israeli control beyond the current Golan Heights border.

Participants in the group claimed that one of the activists, who speaks Arabic, spoke with residents of a mostly abandoned Circassian village across the border and claimed the residents expressed interest in a Jewish presence and Israeli control of the area. Israeli authorities did not comment on those claims.

In a statement, the IDF warned that border crossing is a serious criminal offense that endangers both civilians and soldiers.

Israel Police stressed that unauthorized crossings into Syrian territory constitute a grave security violation. In a statement, police said illegally crossing the border is a prohibited and dangerous offense punishable by up to four years in prison.

Police said the investigation is ongoing as authorities assess the suspects’ actions and the circumstances surrounding the repeated border breaches.