The Israeli military said Monday it detained several Israeli civilians after they attempted to cross the border into Syria.
According to a statement, several Israeli civilians approached the border with Syria in the southern Golan Heights intending to cross it before being detained by IDF forces. The civilans were transfered to the Isreal Police, the statement said.
The military condemned the incident, calling it “a criminal offense that endangers both IDF soldiers and civilians,” and said it was one of several similar incidents.
Last week, the IDF said it had prevented dozens of Israelis from crossing into Syrian territory.
The Syrian village of Ma’ariya, near the location of a reported Israeli settlement.
The incidents come after the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported earlier in July that Israeli settlers had established an outpost in the Wadi Ma’riyah area west of Daraa in an area fenced by Israeli forces.
According to the report, there are about 140 cows in the farming settlement, which was established with the help of the right-wing NGO Hashomer Hachadash (the new guardian in Hebrew). SOHR said the cattle graze on about 10,000 dunams (about 3.8 square miles) in an area between the Israeli border fence and the 1974 cease-fire line.