IDF detains 14 HaBashan Pioneers attempting to infiltrate into Syria, establish settlements
The IDF detained 14 Israelis from the extremist Pioneers of Bashan after they crossed the Israel's Golan border into Syria, condemning the move and urging prosecution.
Fourteen men from the HaBashan Pioneers movement attempted to enter Syria through the Golan Heights on Tuesday, only to be apprehended by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and brought back to Israel, according to a military statement. The group, which is considered a far-right extremist settler movement, aims to establish Jewish settlements in Syrian territory.
The IDF condemned the incident, describing it as a grave threat to the security of its forces in the region. They emphasized that the individuals involved will face legal consequences for what they believe is their historical right to the lands in question. Formed in April 2025, the HaBashan Pioneers draw their name from the biblical region of Bashan, which spans parts of southwestern Syria and northern Jordan.
The movement's leader, Amos Azaria, a computer science professor at Ariel University in the West Bank, announced the group's intention to create a "humanitarian corridor" stretching from Israel to the Druze enclave of Sweida, nearly 100 kilometers into Syrian territory, by relocating Sunnis. This plan has been part of the HaBashan Pioneers' strategy since the group's inception, with at least nine similar instances of illegal infiltration into Syrian territory recorded by the IDF Spokesperson's Unit.
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