A group of Israeli settler activists gathered along the fence separating the occupied Golan Heights from southern Syria in mid-May. Some chained themselves to the barrier while at least ten crossed into Syrian territory near the town of Majdal Shams, at the foot of Mount Hermon (Jabal al-Sheikh).
Organised by Halutzei HaBashan (Pioneers of Bashan), the act was the latest in a series of provocations demanding that Israel authorise Jewish settlements beyond the 1974 ceasefire line.
Israel’s military later confirmed that ‘[soldiers] returned the civilians to Israeli territory and apprehended them,’ transferring them to the Israeli police.
Since its founding, Halutzei HaBashan has emerged as one of the most prominent movements advocating for permanent settlement in Syria beyond the 1974 ceasefire line.
