Approximately 40 Israeli civilians gathered in the Golan Heights and attempted to sneak over the Syrian border, the IDF confirmed on Wednesday.
The civilians succeeded in traveling several hundred meters into Syria before being apprehended by the military. The IDF then returned the civilians to Israel and transferred them to the Israel Police for questioning.
The Israel Police also issued a statement on the incident, noting that crossing the border fence is both “prohibited and dangerous.”
“Crossing the border into Syria or Lebanon is a serious criminal offense punishable by up to four years in prison,” the police said.
The civilians were members of the Habashan Pioneers, according to reports in Israeli media.
Activists attempt to cross border into Lebanon
Meanwhile, another group of Israeli civilians attempted to cross the border into Lebanon on Wednesday.
The group, part of the “Uri Zion” movement, demanded that Israel expand its northern border into southern Lebanon, annexing at least a part of the region. Approximately 10 activists gathered near the border fence, with three crossing over into Lebanon, KAN News reported.
IDF soldiers intercepted them, handing them over to police for detention and questioning.
Several border crossings were attempted in 2025
There was a wave of border crossings in November and December 2025, most of which were intercepted by the IDF.
Additionally, Israeli Druze attempted to cross the border in July 2025, amid increased conflict between Damascus and Syria’s Druze community in Sweida.